Is Native American Spirituality the only Earth religion mentioned in star trek, and if so, why?

Kenku_Ranger · 2023-11-28T07:39:09+00:00

Other Earth religions are also mentioned.

Here is an article which contains the human religions which have been referenced in Star Trek. You can then click on those links for more information.

But a few quick examples. Greek Mythology is real in Star Trek, with Kirk meeting Apollo. Ardra also falsely claims to be the devil. Kirk met someone who might be Lucifer.

Then there is the time they found out that the planet of the Romans also had a Jesus figure. The son, not the sun.

whelmr · 2023-11-28T07:46:37+00:00

While the Prophets aren't a real religion, I think DS9 did an excellent job of tackling religion and religious characters of all kinds. Honestly it's probably for the best to use a made up religion both in terms of sensitivity and having a religion that has all the elements you'll need for specific plot points or issues you want to tackle.

RigasTelRuun · 2023-11-28T08:33:59+00:00

Phlox talks about going to Christian Mass when he was on Earth

NotACyclopsHonest · 2023-11-28T08:41:13+00:00

Kassidy Yates mentions how disappointed her mother will be that her and Sisko’s wedding ceremony was going to be officiated by a Bajoran vedek rather than a human minister, so obviously some kind of spirituality still exists (no matter what TNG said about it).

MikeTheBard · 2023-11-28T09:46:25+00:00

My headcannon is that Chakotay has zero experience with real Native American beliefs.

The society he was raised in was one that was deliberately reconstructed from an extinct culture- They had a legitimate spiritual connection to the land, they did extensive research, but they're still basing everything on a best guess as to how their ancestors might have done things.

THEN, he canonically ignores most of it growing up, and by the time he really starts going to look for his roots, he has to research everything on his own.... With mixed results.

nojellybeans · 2023-11-28T08:18:12+00:00

I feel like the Christmas scene in Generations counts as at least a mention of Christianity.

datafromstartrek2 · 2023-11-28T07:38:31+00:00

there's the whole irish catholic church in fair haven, sha ka ree guy poses as the christian god

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Christianity

CX316 · 2023-11-28T11:30:30+00:00

I did a quick search and couldn't see anyone else mention it but there's clearly a practicing muslim (or at least culturally muslim?) character in Lower Decks pictured in the background of shots wearing a hijab

angry_cucumber · 2023-11-28T07:39:04+00:00

Native American culture has always kind of been singled out by Trek. TOS had encounters with Kukulkan, which was a Mayan/Aztec diety but existed in multiple native american cultures. Crew in Native American dress was shown in the motion picture.

Then there's the planet that featured when Wesley met the Traveller.

Chokotays fucking mess of culture was just buying bullshit from a con man.

ancientestKnollys · 2023-11-28T08:06:24+00:00

TOS Enterprise had a Church on board.

Sagelegend · 2023-11-28T12:27:26+00:00

In Data’s Day, he mentions that there’d be the “Hindu festival of Lights.”

moral_mercenary · 2023-11-28T07:37:40+00:00

TOS referenced Christianity and Judaism, not sure if Greek mythology counts as religion, but it was present, sort of. But yeah, humans seem to have more or less given up on practicing religion.

You are for sure right about Chakotay being the spiritual native trope. The "cultural advisor" they hired for the show was a complete charlatan.

I think they could include more star fleet officers practicing irl religions, it could be cool to see the interplay between faith and science.

RangerMatt76 · 2023-11-28T10:29:59+00:00

Kirk and a psychologist mention a Christmas party where they met in Dagger of the Mind. There is a Christmas scene in Generations. The opening scene of Balance of Terror takes place in the ship’s chapel. These examples would suggest some aspects of Christianity are still around.

Eagle_Kebab · 2023-11-28T08:31:51+00:00

There's been mention of the bible at leat twice.

BlackHawkeDown · 2023-11-28T13:07:50+00:00

Lots of people have mentioned the big ones: the chapel on the TOS Enterprise, the crew's encounters with Apollo and the Sha Ka Ree guy, Joseph Sisko quoting scripture, Yates talking about being married by a vedek instead of a human minister, etc.

I'll add that both Phlox and Archer visited Tibetan monasteries, Pike's father taught comparative religion (and Pike himself mentions attending church), the New Eden people melded a bunch of Earth religious ideas together, the TOS episode Bread and Circuses hinges on the people of the Roman planet developing Christianity on their own, and TAS featured at one point a polytheistic Enterprise crewmember. Christmas is, of course, still a holiday, as well (It's always Christmas in the Nexus).

Earth still has plenty of religious beliefs, but they don't often play into the day-to-day adventures of Starfleet crews.

Tuchaka7 · 2023-11-28T07:38:31+00:00

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Christianity#google_vignette

It’s mentioned

notmenotyoutoo · 2023-11-28T07:40:25+00:00

I don’t know how far along you are but they do manage to sci fi his spiritual thing bit into a “real” thing at times. Which is more than Christianity gets when Kirk meets God and he turns out to be fake.

UncleIrohsPimpHand · 2023-11-28T11:38:08+00:00

No. Kirk and Pike talk about Christianity relatively often.

CadianGuardsman · 2023-11-28T07:38:19+00:00

You kinda hit the nail on the head. Equal parts 90s racism and equal parts 90s progressivism. The idea that their culture could not grow past religion while other cultures could is just plain hilarious if it wasn't so silly.

Kelpie-Cat · 2023-11-28T09:27:48+00:00

While Chakotay's religion is pretty farcical, the idea of Native Americans still having their religions in 24th century is a good one. Elimination of Native religions has always been a key tenet of settler colonialism and forced assimilation in North America. Rebranding that as triumphant secularism doesn't make it any better. The underlying assumption is still the same: Native religion is a primitive stage that Natives must be forced to move beyond if they have any hope of existing in society.

The science/faith dichotomy is one that was pretty much invented by the Enlightenment and which doesn't map well onto Indigenous science and worldview. It's deeply embedded into Western ideas of science and, by extension, science fiction. It can sometimes be very difficult for atheists from Christian cultural backgrounds to appreciate that religion is not an evolutionary stage that all enlightened people must eventually move past. Ideas of cultural evolution are so deeply ingrained in Western philosophical thought, even though anthropology abandoned them as racist decades ago.

Indigenous futurism (speculative fiction written by Indigenous authors) does a great job of incorporating Native religions into sci-fi futures. Envisioning a future where Indigenous people have "moved beyond" religion means a victory for the colonizing forces that have sought to erase Native religions since 1492. I'd love for Trek to revisit Native Americans but hire actual Indigenous futurist authors to write it.

theCroc · 2023-11-28T08:14:40+00:00

It's like in Stargate where the show is extremely religion heavy but somehow keeps skirting around the abrahamic religions. Too much potential for trouble there. The closest they got was that one episode where a goa'uld poses as the devil (Because the goa'uld are incapable of the benevolence needed to pose as the abrahamic God) and the Ori being designed with a heavily catholic and lutheran aestetic.

Basically they were well aware that large parts of their audience were christian so they stayed away from directly referencing Jesus and God in the show.

THENHAUS · 2023-11-28T09:28:38+00:00

TNG 3.04: “Who Watches the Watchers”

Picard: “Millennia ago, they abandoned their belief in the supernatural. Now you are asking me to sabotage that achievement, to send them back into the dark ages of superstition and ignorance and fear? No!”

LlamaWreckingKrew · 2023-11-28T08:56:28+00:00

Part of Star Trek as a series is to push peripheral concepts to the center and in the 90s and early 2000s Native American and Native lore was relatively safe at the time. There was under representation in most television and it was something that Voyager could do to set it apart from TNG and TOS. Right there is your answer.

In the series Chakotay is a major character who could constantly reinforce the Native aspect of the show that picks up here and there. It's also a way to show how even in a more egalitarian society, Native Religions and practices struggle to find the right footing in that world. In the series Chakotay's religion is a bit of a grab bag of different Native beliefs because it has to be understood by non Native viewers and come off somewhat authentic at the time. Again it was over 24 years ago. Different times.

Bastet999 · 2023-11-28T11:56:29+00:00

Dr. Plox mentioned his visit yo the Vatican City and other religions on earth.

WhiteKnightAlpha · 2023-11-28T10:18:39+00:00

My guess is that Gene Roddenberry was influenced by the New Age movement sometime between TOS and TNG. That movement tended to be against most western organised religions but fetishized some eastern and Native American religions. (Also, whales are a big deal!)

When Roddenberry lost influence over Trek, that aspect gradually faded away again.

theyux · 2023-11-28T10:30:25+00:00

I think it was harder to do even in the 90's anything that could be interpreted as anti christian could get your show canceled. Magic the gathering was constantly under threat of cancellation over angels and demons depicted on magic cards.

I remember god the devil and bob was a sitcom show that had god always be right, the devil always be wrong and christians killed the show. I think married with children and south park are the to big first outliers that survived. And married with children avoided poking the bear.

That said even though Picard is apparently aesthetic he has shown deference to religion and was careful not to dismiss it out of hand.

Erika_Bloodaxe · 2023-11-28T11:57:22+00:00

Lower decks has human Muslims on the ship.

ScheduleSame258 · 2023-11-28T12:30:23+00:00

How else would you get to hear Chakotay say "A cuchi moya" repeatedly as if his life depended on it?

mando44646 · 2023-11-28T13:00:52+00:00

Roddenberry was a Humanist and built Trek around his ideal future where religion doesn't dictate human policies or ideologies

PixTwinklestar · 2023-11-28T17:29:18+00:00

Casual references exist in trek though. Joseph Sisko has read and quoted the Bible to Ben, who recognized it and was surprised. I also remember in TOS’s “Bread and Circuses” when the away team was lost on the 1960s Roman Earth planet, the ran with an underground of Sun Worshippers, which confused everyone bc Romans were never that into Sun gods. Later they realized it was “Son Worshippers” and Kirk mused how fascinating it would be to see it all happen again (referencing Christianity’s rise).

Also “The Apple”’s title and obvious themes of people in paradise losing their innocence are a nod to the garden of Eden.

Source: agnostic, prolly don’t know what I’m talking about.

jackity_splat · 2023-11-28T19:59:16+00:00

As an Anishinaabe person, I feel like I should comment on this.

I was very young when Voyager came out and to be completely honest this was one of the first positive portrayals of a modern person from my culture. (First People’s, not Ojibwe) As a child growing up on a reserve this was very important to me, whenever we left the reserve I was subjected to horrible racism, so to see Chakotay being given respect and a position of authority was really really important even if they got A LOT wrong. It gave me hope that maybe one day the world wouldn’t spit on us and wish nothing but death upon us.

There was a lot wrong with Chakotay in terms of his nativeness being broad stroked to try and include a lot of different aspects of various cultures instead of saying he is _______ and going with that groups particular beliefs.

BUT

It also makes sense that Chakotay as a First Nations person is not exactly what we see today.

First, my people were not considered human until 1952 in Canada. So my father born in 1958 was a human but his parents weren’t born human. (According to Canadian Law) As non-humans our culture, language and very existence was illegal. We were not allowed to practice it and it was quite literally beat out of my grandparents at residential school.

So because of that long period where we were not considered human and our culture was illegal we LOST SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE. So imagine how it feels as a native to finally have your language and culture be legal to practice but… there’s been hundreds of years of abject subjugation separating you from your culture.

You talk to the elders and hope they remember and can pass on the teachings of your people.

But the elders spent the majority of their lives in residential school and if they remember the culture it is the memory of children and perhaps not accurate. Please remember that most of our cultures did not have written languages or if we did it was strictly for medicine people. There was no books to tell us what we were just the memories of elders.

Elders who had to try and hang onto that little bit of knowledge through pain and suffering every day of their lives.

And even after our language and culture was legal again that didn’t mean the colonial people wanted us to practice it.

To this day that attitude still exists and still damages our culture.

If I say to a Christian I believe in the creator, they laugh and tell me that it is nonsense.

When I was forced to be baptized Catholic, I was told by the priest that I was a soulless heathen and would burn for all eternity in hell if I wasn’t baptized and given a soul.

Voyager came out the BEFORE the last residential school in Canada closed. Think about that.

To this day we are still suffering a silent genocide. The government decides who is one of us, we are still sterilized against our will if a doctor feels it’s best for us, we are considered nothing but drunks and drug addicts.

I don’t see this changing in the future.

So even now our culture is like a bowl that has been broken and o put back together. It is not the same as it was and it cannot be. The future I see the bowl only gets broken again and again while we try to hold onto the pieces and put it back together.

So because of that Chakotay doesn’t offend me. He seems an accurate portrayal of a culture that has been broken and put back together more times than can be counted.

Do I wish Chakotay had had a defined tribe and stuck with it? Yes.

But unfortunately I know history and I don’t see the future being different.

Mental-Street6665 · 2023-11-28T20:52:37+00:00

It dates back to Gene Roddenberry’s prejudice against religion which was particularly evident in the first few seasons of TNG but was also subtly present throughout all of TOS. All of the organized establishment religions we know today are gone by the time the Federation was founded. Whether you want to believe they all died out in the aftermath of World War III or they were forcibly suppressed by the one-world government that emerged around Archer’s time probably depends on what side of the political spectrum you’re on. It’s conceivable that native religions like Chakotay’s would have survived to some small extent in isolated corners, but remember, even Chakotay himself was dismissive of his father’s religious beliefs as a youth. The general attitude promulgated by Federation society is that religion is something that only backwards and primitive people practice, and that it has no place among the “evolved sensibilities” that define their current civilization.

I highly suspect that cracks in that veneer of superiority emerged in Federation society after the Dominion War, but unfortunately modern Trek has chosen to almost entirely ignore that era, so we are left to speculate.

Piano_mike_2063 · 2023-11-28T09:32:32+00:00

No. Season 2 Star Trek Discovery

Isteppedinpoopy · 2023-11-28T12:00:54+00:00

Isn’t Harry Kim Catholic and has a crucifix in his quarters? I may have imagined all of that. I haven’t watched voyager in a while. Maybe it was in a book?

Aezetyr · 2023-11-28T12:25:48+00:00

Discovery's New Eden dealt with this topic as well. There was an entire soliloquy about how members of various Earth religions took to understand what happened to them. Religion does exist in various forms in the Trek universe, even though the franchise has been largely presented as secular. In other times Pike has shown that he has a belief in fate (at least). I wonder if that is a mark of the character or simply added because the audience knows he has a bad fate coming?

Characters like Chakotay are an exception; one reason because his beliefs were related to real Native American religion (however strongly trope-ified and were stories told by a con-artist), and that he is a main character. The fact that the episode Tattoo indicates that their "powers" were given to them by white guys from outer space shows us that Trek should never have tread those grounds in the first place; or at least not tread by writers unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the topic.

As with many things, DS9 handled religion differently and in many ways better for Trek fans. For all intents and purposes, the Bajoran religion was "explained" in a Starfleet way (though not completely). It was also a primary driving force in Kira's life; she would say that her faith saved her life because that is what a person of faith would say. Though it did rarely go beyond that (The Reckoning and other events); each character interpreted the events in their own ways without preaching that one is better than the other. DS9 also left things open for the audience to interpret (most of the time).

Stardustchaser · 2023-11-28T13:00:20+00:00

Diwali is mentioned in “Data’s Day,” and Uhura definitely alludes to Jesus/Christianity at the end of “Bread and Circuses.”

Dash_Harber · 2023-11-28T13:02:50+00:00

So two things worth pointing out here.

Firstly, indigenous faith is not monolithic. There are hundreds of different groups with hundreds of different, often conflicting beliefs. The way it is portrayed would be like creating a Christian character who speaks in tongues, reads from the book of mormon, doesn't believe in the trinity, prays to Catholic saints, and practices adult baptism. What is represented is a theme park hodgepodge of various beliefs as well as hollywood ideas made up about indigenous folks.

Second, the reason for that is they hired known grifter "Jamake Highwater" as a consultant, who has no ties to any indigenous culture, but pretended to be an expert to sell his writings and consulting services.

Not directly related, but worth pointing out for the sake of the discussion.

pgm123 · 2023-11-28T13:16:59+00:00

So, my question is - why showing native-americans religion but not Christianity/Judaism/Islam?

To be clear, the show does not show Native American religion.

hayesarchae · 2023-11-28T15:45:13+00:00

If Chakotay's rambling counts as Native American spirituality, I suppose you'd have to include the Planet of Black People on TNG as representing African spirituality. The duel at the end is, supposedly, an ancient ritual. Star Trek ought never be allowed near indigenous spiritualities though, given the track record. Vulcan and Klingon religion pull from a lot of Victorian religious stereotypes about real faiths also.

Overall-Habit5284 · 2023-11-28T16:33:51+00:00

I think Pike mentions in an episode of Discovery that he believes in God, or something along those lines?

sicarius254 · 2023-11-28T16:51:36+00:00

I’m pretty sure TOS mentions God a few times, we also meet Apollo

Menzicosce · 2023-11-28T17:56:34+00:00

In who mourns for adonais Kirk says "Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate." And in Bread & Circuses Uhura remarks they are not worshiping the sun but the "Son of God." The planet 892-IV had both Caesar and Christ. To my knowledge this is the only mention of the the big 3 religions from TOS to DS9. In Data’s Day, Data mentions Diwali but not by name he just says the Hindu Festival of Lights.

MagosBattlebear · 2023-11-28T15:25:45+00:00

Coming from an actual Indigenous American tribe in the United States, I wouldn't say I liked every minute of what they did with Chakotay. He was an embarrassment with the usual "white people trying to write a minority" problems and, FFS, ancient aliens (an idea that has a fundamental racist basis to it). Of course, they hired a consultant about Indigenous Americans who was claimed he was one of us but was 100% bullshit.

duxpdx · 2023-11-28T07:39:53+00:00

The shows would be an utter shit show if human religion is incorporated, and is antithetical to the ideals of Star Trek and its core structure. It is made clear as of TNG, era that humanity moved past religion. The issue comes up in DS9 constantly with Bajoran religion and the Federation, prophets vs wormhole aliens. The current main earth religious beliefs have been relegated to mythological status in the movies, referring to core tenets at myths.

UnableLocal2918 · 2023-11-28T09:49:15+00:00

No. In tos when they found a modern 20th century rome they discussed worshipping the son. Which spock thought of as sun and commited that those cultures were usually violent. When uhura said no the son of god.

peterfonda3 · 2023-11-28T12:21:30+00:00

Christianity was mentioned in TOS “Bread and Circuses”. God was referred to in “Who Mourns for Adonais?” God also figured prominently in ST:V.

AtrumAequitas · 2023-11-28T13:02:07+00:00

Roddenberry wasn’t a fan. He liked the idea of a post religious society. It got snuck in here and there, but it’s a theme that for the most part stuck. One of the ops crew in DISCO comes from a Mennonite like background, mentioned briefly, with any actual religious part kind of washed out.

SpaceDantar · 2023-11-28T13:07:08+00:00

I think it's reasonable to extrapolate that in the distant future people will be less adherent to any specific religion, and may just have spiritual feelings instead - that trend is already happening now over the last 100 years.

Star Trek was created by someone who was a humanist more than being religious. Star Trek has been VERY secular and clear over the many years that religion is mostly a superstition. That's just how it is.

That core belief has been backed off from for fear of bad publicity recently (among many changes recently to Star Trek) backing away from its core identity to appeal to a larger market.

haresnaped · 2023-11-28T14:08:31+00:00

No one has mentioned my favourite, where Kathryn Janeway quotes 'the Good Shepherd' (plot twist, it's her). I think it fits the Trek ideal where Earth religions have the role of cultural background, providing metaphors and concepts but not as active political forces.

I think that Babylon 5 did a better job of realistically depicting religion, both human and alien, but everywhere it crops up in Trek it's relevant to the human condition - infinite diversity in infinite combinations.

NoRepresentative3533 · 2023-11-28T14:10:09+00:00

Joseph Sisko quotes the Bible in one episode, and Ben recognizes the passage, indicating that the Sisko family has some knowledge of christianity even though Ben at least indicates in other dialogue that he isn't personally religious.

In "Valiant", the acting Chief Engineer says something about "seeing the face of god", which could just be a turn of phrase but also would indicate that humans haven't completely forgotten about religious ideas.

Piper6728 · 2023-11-28T14:24:18+00:00

Its called not poking the bear

Religion can be a powder keg of issues, anyone can easily get offended and sides can be taken on anything

Why make problems when they can easily be avoided

Star Trek dealt with religion in an approachable way in DS9 with the bajorans

Now if you are wanting an in universe reason: theres more to starfleet and the Star Trek universe than planet Earth and one of its religions

CannedDuck1906 · 2023-11-28T14:43:07+00:00

While not explicitly mentioned on the show, Leonard Nemoy drew on his Jewish Heritage for many aspects of Spock's character.

Leonard Nemoy on Mr. Spock's Jewish Heritage

zulukilocharlie · 2023-11-28T14:49:37+00:00

The animated series also had Mayan mythology with Kulkulkan (which Kirk hilariously kept pronouncing incorrectly) and Greek and Roman gods made appearances, Apollo for example.

EverybodyStayCool · 2023-11-28T15:41:08+00:00

TNG.

"The Watchers." (I think?)

Covers monotheistic ideology. Love that episode.

"The Picard speaks!"

36840327 · 2023-11-28T15:45:16+00:00

In the DIS episode “New Eden” the humans of Terralysium follow a religion that is “a mix of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and many other earth religions”

JL98008 · 2023-11-28T16:05:47+00:00

There is a female crew member, presumably Muslim, wearing a gold hijab to match her gold Operations uniform on ST:Lower Decks. She's appeared as a background character (i.e. an extra) in a few episodes.

StarHunter_ · 2023-11-28T16:22:53+00:00

Well, they don’t use money anymore. So all the for profit churches would go away and there would be no homeless or hungry on Earth to “save.” And I would hope that the religious wars stopped after getting nuked. So just the ones that do ceremonies for their believers would be left.

sonofShisui · 2023-11-28T19:10:09+00:00

Christmas gets mentioned

crikett23 · 2023-11-28T19:41:58+00:00

In TOS Bread And Circuses, Christianity is at least implicit (haven't bothered to look up the exact dialog, so it may be explicitly stated, but as I said, at the very least it was at least implicit). In the epilogue, Urhura comments something about how they had misunderstood, and that the people on the planet of that episode were not primitive "sun worshipers," but rather, it was the Son Of God. Kirk follows with some comment about how how the religion will again win out.

okebel · 2023-11-28T20:26:06+00:00

In Enterprise, Dr Phlox mention attending mass in Rome and going to Mecca. I don't recall the exact quote.

The_Doolinator · 2023-11-28T22:41:26+00:00

Sisko’s dad quoted the Bible to Sisko. This surprised Sisko, so it’s safe to say that neither are Christian, but the fact he would comment his surprise of his dad quoting the Bible indicates the possibility there are still enclaves of Abrahamic religions of some sort on Earth, rather than it just being someone quoting some old text.

Jump_Like_A_Willys · 2023-11-28T22:57:14+00:00

In TOS Bread and Circuses they visited a planet that was like Ancient Rome. There was a group of people who were heavily persecuted by the Roman-like people because they were said to be worshippers.

At the end, Spock said he was surprised that a sun-worshiping cult preached live and brotherhood. Lt. Uhura, having monitored the planet's communications corrected Spock that they didn’t worship the sun up in the sky, but rather the Son of God.. Kirk replied, “Caesar and Christ. They had them both. And the Word is spreading only now."

Date	Episode	Title
04-04	DSC 5x01 & 02	"Red Directive" & "Under the Twin Moons"
04-11	DSC 5x03	"Jinaal"
04-18	DSC 5x04	"Face the Strange"
04-25	DSC 5x05	"Mirrors"
05-02	DSC 5x06	"Whistlespeak"
05-09	DSC 5x07	"Erigah"
05-16	DSC 5x08	"Labyrinths"
05-23	DSC 5x09	"Lagrange Point"
05-30	DSC 5x10	"Life, Itself"

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