[Texas_Jarhead]

Star Trek has always extolled a godless morality of sorts. I always thought it was funny how an observer could see numerous examples where the show incorporated material things, ideas, or traditions (including some from Eastern religions) but never could include a thing about the Christian tradition.

[Texas_Jarhead]

'funny' was the wrong word in my last post. Ridiculous is a better choice.

[Tuor]

I always thought it was funny how an observer could see numerous examples where the show incorporated material things, ideas, or traditions (including some from Eastern religions) but never could include a thing about the Christian tradition.

They did, but only in the old 'classic' Star Trek. Too bad the old Trek didn't have the tech to produce the sort of FX that ST:NG did.

Tuor

[Lunatic Fringe]

Actually if I recall from the ST: Generations movie, there was a scene where Picard was fantasizing about a traditional family Christmas Day.

[altair]

I always thought it was funny how an observer could see numerous examples where the show incorporated material things, ideas, or traditions (including some from Eastern religions) but never could include a thing about the Christian tradition.

Probably because that's the most they could do without offending anyone. How would you inject Christian tradition into Star Trek? Also, how would you do it to include the various flavors of Christianity? (These are serious questions, I cannot think of anything off the top of my head that wouldn't send ratings into the tank).

[KellyAdmirer]

I think it is too harsh to say that Star Trek has never had Christian themes. I can point to several, but one will suffice here. One of the original episodes had about as blunt a Christian message as possible. It concerned a world similar to Earth where the Roman Empire never fell. The dictatorial regime was opposed by people following the "Sun." At the very end, though it is revealed that they are "Son," not "Sun" worshippers, as in "Son of God."

The later incarnations of Star Trek do adopt a tone of, shall we say, religious neutrality (to their detriment, in my opinion), but there were some very powerful religious statements in the original series if you care to look for them.

[Mr. Jeeves]

I remember back in the 70's watching a rerun of the orignal series where Kirk is having a dispute with "Apollo", an alien who has taken the form of the god Apollo. Apollo says something like, "You will kneel before all of the gods," and Kirk shot back, "We find the one sufficient."

They edited that line out afterward: you never see it on TV and I'm not sure it's in the DVD, either.

[ItsJeff]

but never could include a thing about the Christian tradition.

You're absolutely right. I'm a tremendous Next Generation fan and always thought it was cool that many crewmembers hung onto their ancestral traditions (ala Scotty wearing kilts and playing the bagpipe, or Kayko and Miles having a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony.) But they never delved into Christianity. Even when they had the chance, in the second movie, Wrath of Khan, when Bones was having a fit about the awsome power of the "Genesis Project." He said, "According to myth, the earth was created in seven days." So much for Christianity.