Changes

The drama of the shows typically arises from the crew's contact with various forms of [[extraterrestrial life]], mostly, but not always, [[humanoid]] (e.g. the "Crystalline Entity"). In various ways, the [[premise]] of the [[ancient astronaut theory]] is used to assert the seeding of [[life]] throughout the [[galaxy]] as brought up in ''The Next Generation'', although not to the overt extent of a later, unrelated, TV series, [[Stargate SG-1]].

The drama of the shows typically arises from the crew's contact with various forms of [[extraterrestrial life]], mostly, but not always, [[humanoid]] (e.g. the "Crystalline Entity"). In various ways, the [[premise]] of the [[ancient astronaut theory]] is used to assert the seeding of [[life]] throughout the [[galaxy]] as brought up in ''The Next Generation'', although not to the overt extent of a later, unrelated, TV series, [[Stargate SG-1]].

==Comments on Religion==

== Religion in Star Trek ==

Star Trek: The Next Generation has one major example of anti-religion bias. 3rd season episode entitled "Who Watches the Watchers," where it is implied that an alien culture discarding religious beliefs is a positive development. Religious parents may wish to be wary if their children watch "Who Watches the Watchers,". In the episode "Tapestry", Captain Picard dies and goes to the "afterlife" where he meets his erstwhile adversary "Q" who implies that he is God.  Picard refuses to believe this, and makes a comment that "The Universe is not so badly run." This suggests that perhaps the Captain believed there was a deity but he had never been exposed to a formal religion. However the majority of episodes remain agnostic on religion.

As a humanist, Gene Roddenberry infused Star Trek with humanism's dream of a world (or galaxy in this case) where humanity (and many other intelligent beings) had achieved a Utopian state.

People worked together for the common good, rather than for money, and without any class or other distinctions.

This is similar to [[Christianity|Christianity's]] view of [[heaven]], except that humanism believes that mankind can achieve this through its own efforts, rather than with the help of God.

Star Trek: Deep Space 9 was heavily influenced by religion. An overarching theme of the series was the relation of the main character, Captain Benjamin Sisko, to the Bajoran religion in his role as the emissary to the Bajoran prophets.  The prophets were beings who lived in a stable wormhole (a unique phenomenon in the Star Trek universe referred to by the Bajorans as the Celestial Temple) that perceived all of time as a single event with no concept of past, present, or future. Despite their immense dissimilarity to other races in the galaxy, the Prophets took unusual interest in Bajor, sending 'orbs' which were used as tools of prophecy by the Bajoran clergy, and in Sisko who it is revealed exists solely to fulfill a predetermined historical path in an Armageddon-like showdown as the avatar of the prophets against the 'Pah Wraiths' (aliens like the Prophets who were expelled from the Celestial Temple).

Roddenberry rarely had the shows overtly reject religion, seeming instead to simply ignore it.

Later series, under the control of other producers particularly after Roddenberry died, brought religious concepts into the show to a greater extent.

Other religions include that of the Dominion in which the Founders (shape shifting aliens sometimes called changelings) are treated as living gods by the races under their control.  The Klingon religion suggests that the first Klingons realized they had no need for their gods, and killed them, although they still hold to an afterlife where the honorable dead join with the deified Kahless and the dishonorable dead are forced to spend eternity on the Barge of the Dead with the Demon like figure Fecklarr.  The Ferengi had a religion of sorts based on the concept of The Great River (as shown in "Faith, Treachery and The Great River"), which was similar to "[[The invisible hand]]" a phrase coined by [[Adam Smith]].  Ferengi also hold that if they achieve enough profit during their lives, they will meet the Blessed Exchequer who will grant them access to the Divine Treasury, whereas an unsuccessful Ferengi may find himself left in the Vault of Eternal Destitution.

 

 

Other religions include that of the Dominion in which the Founders (shape-shifting aliens sometimes called changelings) are treated as living gods by the races under their control.  The Klingon religion suggests that the first Klingons realized they had no need for their gods, and killed them, although they still hold to an afterlife where the honorable dead join with the deified Kahless and the dishonorable dead are forced to spend eternity on the Barge of the Dead with the Demon like figure Fecklarr.  The Ferengi had a religion of sorts based on the concept of The Great River (as shown in "Faith, Treachery and The Great River"), which was similar to "[[The invisible hand]]" a phrase coined by [[Adam Smith]].  Ferengi also hold that if they achieve enough profit during their lives, they will meet the Blessed Exchequer who will grant them access to the Divine Treasury, whereas an unsuccessful Ferengi may find himself left in the Vault of Eternal Destitution.

== The Prime Directive ==

== The Prime Directive ==