I'm pretty sure I've had a character say "Oh, my God!" on occasion, but that's about as religious as Starfleet types usually get, unless they're Bajoran or something . . . .
Praising Allah in the trek universe
- Thread starter Min Zife
- Start date
I'm pretty sure I've had a character say "Oh, my God!" on occasion, but that's about as religious as Starfleet types usually get, unless they're Bajoran or something . . . .
Star Trek Log Seven by Alan Dean Foster (1976) depicts one of the engineers involved in the construction of the Enterprise facing toward Mecca during daily prayers, from an orbital construction complex. Even that may not be the first acknowledgment of the Islamic faith in Star Trek fiction, but it's earliest I can recall, and certainly not the only one that predates The Sundered.
Heck, maybe it was a malfunctioning orbital weapons system like in "Assignment: Earth."
That's the thing: we don't know. World War III could have been started by undercover Romulan terrorists for all we know.
Have we ever revisited the world from "Bread and Circuses?" As much as I loathe that episode, it's somewhat respectful take on Christianity and one that's likely to be the only one shown in Trek fiction.
I like to think it was started by the words "I seem to be having terrible trouble with my lifestyle" heard through a time warp...
As I understand it, the Eastern Coalition is basically China. (So says the ST:FC commentary. In the film script, all references to the ECON were originally China, and were changed at the last minute.) So even if the ECON started the war, one can't blame that on Islam, since the Chinese government is quite hostile to all religion even today.
Now that's an interesting idea for a novel.
Ok, so, Min Zife came in here with a rather intolerant post, I think we all can agree. But he does raise an interesting question - can anyone think of sympathetic Christian characters in TrekLit?
I personally think that TrekLit tackles religion in general in interesting and deep ways through the Bajorans, Cardassians, etc, and that's sort of what sci-fi is supposed to do, give you new perspectives on current issues by shifting the context. I'm quite satisfied with Trek's portrayal of religion and spirituality, at least in the broad sense, myself.
But divorced from the kind of prejudicial argument Min Zife is making, just as a factual question, are there any sympathetic Christian characters lately? I haven't really been looking for it, but I can't think of any.
I personally think that TrekLit tackles religion in general in interesting and deep ways through the Bajorans, Cardassians, etc, and that's sort of what sci-fi is supposed to do, give you new perspectives on current issues by shifting the context. I'm quite satisfied with Trek's portrayal of religion and spirituality, at least in the broad sense, myself.
But divorced from the kind of prejudicial argument Min Zife is making, just as a factual question, are there any sympathetic Christian characters lately? I haven't really been looking for it, but I can't think of any.
"...for me to poop on!" - Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
In the S.C.E. series, there was Diego Feliciano, who was a Cuban-born Catholic. In his tragic final scene in Wildfire, his last act is to recite the "Hail Mary" en Español.
In Vanguard, there was Father McKee, the pastor of a nondenominational Christian chapel aboard Starbase 47.
And it's strongly implied that Vanguard's commanding officer character, Commodore Diego Reyes, is a man of faith based on his invocation of the Psalms during the Bombay's memorial service in Harbinger.
So, to be blunt, Min Zife's assertion that Christianity has never been depicted in the Star Trek novels, or depicted sympathetically, is complete bullshit.
I don't know about "lately," but the TOS cast often made oaths involving Heaven or the devil, and Kirk implied once or twice that he was a monotheist ("We find the one [god] sufficient"). In Mike Carlin's ST comics for DC, he often had Scotty swear "Saint Andrew preserve us!" and implied that he was a man of faith. In Ex Machina, I suggested that Chekov believed in an afterlife, and though I wasn't any more specific, I would expect that he's either Russian Orthodox (given his fierce Russian nationalism) or Jewish (like both the actors who've portrayed him).
The TNG novel Guises of the Mind by Rebecca Neason features a group of nuns as visitors aboard the Enterprise and portrays Christianity in a decidedly positive light.
non-demonational, spoken in another language and IMPLIED by Diego.. that's weak sauce Dave. Give me a devout english speaking human who prays and puts his faith in God.
Why? So you can see yourself reflected in a ST novel and feel validated? Does your own faith really require that?
You can't. You were fired.
So what? Stop evading and answer the question.
Interestingly, when I wrote a fan-fic essay covering the Eugenics Wars and World War Three and the inter-war period, I didn't depict the Mid East being involved in WW3 at all. It was Eastern Europe vs Western Europe and the Chinese-dominated ECON against the New Soviet Union and the US.
The Eugenics Wars, however, I had raging across Central Asia, the Mid East, the Far East, Australia and then in Eastern Europe, Central America and East Africa....
The Eugenics Wars, however, I had raging across Central Asia, the Mid East, the Far East, Australia and then in Eastern Europe, Central America and East Africa....
Min Zife, as a Christian myself, I hope you will also recognize the horrors and atrocities commited in the name of our Lord during the centuries.
We have a rather dimwitted politician in the Netherlands who once commented that if you take all the violent parts out of the Koran, you are left with something as thick as the weekly Donald Duck. Unfortunatly, the same can be said for the Bible. He, ofcourse, neglected to mention that, since anti-Muslimism is a big part of his political statement.
Again, I am a Christian, but I'm also smart enough NOT to judge an entire religion on the actions of a group that is still a minority compared to the entire Muslim/Islamic religion. Christians have been responsible for the deaths of God knows how many people through the centuries. Please be smart enough NOT to make unfounded comments on a religion if you don't know everything about it.
It's so easy to attack what you don't understand, and unfortunatly, most attacks on the Islam are made by people who don't know everything about it. Yes, there are some pretty horrible things in the Koran, and some people follow it to the letter. But the same can be said about the Bible. There are groups of Christians who basicly treat women as second-class citizens, because they feel that's what the Bible says. Should we do something to liberate these women as well then, since that is completely against equel rights for sexes in our society, right?
We have a rather dimwitted politician in the Netherlands who once commented that if you take all the violent parts out of the Koran, you are left with something as thick as the weekly Donald Duck. Unfortunatly, the same can be said for the Bible. He, ofcourse, neglected to mention that, since anti-Muslimism is a big part of his political statement.
Again, I am a Christian, but I'm also smart enough NOT to judge an entire religion on the actions of a group that is still a minority compared to the entire Muslim/Islamic religion. Christians have been responsible for the deaths of God knows how many people through the centuries. Please be smart enough NOT to make unfounded comments on a religion if you don't know everything about it.
It's so easy to attack what you don't understand, and unfortunatly, most attacks on the Islam are made by people who don't know everything about it. Yes, there are some pretty horrible things in the Koran, and some people follow it to the letter. But the same can be said about the Bible. There are groups of Christians who basicly treat women as second-class citizens, because they feel that's what the Bible says. Should we do something to liberate these women as well then, since that is completely against equel rights for sexes in our society, right?
In your first paragrah you said recognize all the horrors christians have done then your your next you say the horrors done in the name of Islam pale in comparison.
The Enterprise 1701 chapel was seen in The Balance of Terror. They played Amazing Grace at Spock's funeral in ST2 at his request no doubt 
. Also, in Enterprise Phlox mentioned interest in earth religions and even attended Mass at St. Peter's Square which implies that there is still a Pope.
. Also, in Enterprise Phlox mentioned interest in earth religions and even attended Mass at St. Peter's Square which implies that there is still a Pope.