Star Trek afterthoughts

(This is a follow up to the previous Star Trek impressions.)

Star Trek (the original) was a series with a very definite worldview: atheistic, secular humanism.

Its vision was of mankind naturally outgrowing all its violence and hatred, and coming together in a massive global (then interstellar) Federation. This wasn't just a plot-device. It was creator Gene Roddenberry's alternate religion.

Tim Bertolet discusses both Roddenberry's humanism and his personal immorality and egotism here and here. It's sad but hardly surprising to find that Roddenberry was a womanizer. Based on decades of observation, very frequently it's just this simple: scratch a virulent anti-Christian, and you simply find someone who wants to have a lot of immoral sex.

Which maybe explains Hollywood. But I digress.

Did you know Roddenberry went to a Baptist church as a youngun? Here's what he later said:

I listened to the sermon, and I remember complete astonishment because what they were talking about were things that were just crazy. It was communion time, where you eat this wafer and are supposed to be eating the body of Christ and drinking his blood. My first impression was, "This is a bunch of cannibals they’ve put me down among!" For some time, I puzzled over this and puzzled over why they were saying these things, because the connection between what they were saying and reality was very tenuous. How the h___ did Jesus become something to be eaten?

In fact, we learn that Roddenberry was in church because of his mother, and was mostly interested (sexually) in the deacon's daughter. Not a deep man, not a good listener, and not a profound thinker.

And that was the world of Star Trek. Not only no God, but no recognizable human religion whatever to speak of in the original series. This was by Roddenberry's design.

It contrasts starkly with Babylon 5, which came along a couple of decades later. Creator J. Michael Straczynski, though himself an atheist, dealt thoughtfully and more realistically with issues of faith and religion.

This worldview is a pipedream, however. It ignores man's dilemma and deepest needs, and God's provision for both.

So I watch the movie and notice that at one point an authority-figure says: "Godspeed."

That's unique, in the ST universe. Will the rebooted Star Trek do the Roddenberry, stick its fingers in its collective ears and do a "La la la I can't hear you" on the subject of God? Or will He come up?

Answer that and you answer whether future ST movies will be stimulating on more levels than fun, laughs, and special-effects eye-candy.

Not that I'm opposed to fun, laughs, and special-effects eye-candy, mind you.