Faith has always been a delicate question, one that Star Trek often enjoys examining. It’s no secret that Gene Roddenberry, creator of the idea for Star Trek, found religions to be undesirable, and this fact reflected quite clearly in many of the episodes produced under his tenure. That said, there have been a variety of installments that discuss the topic of faith in a balanced matter. Deep Space 9’s Kira Nerys proudly proclaims a spiritual relationship, and there have been other characters, both in Starfleet and elsewhere, that live similarly.
On a starship or starbase, teeming with hundreds or thousands of people, cultural differences are unavoidably abundant, and part of what makes Starfleet such an incredible organization. That said, from a writer’s perspective, the storytelling and character development possibilities that stem from imbuing one’s character with religious leanings are boundless. On the other hand, a lack of religion can be just as influential for a character, helping to shape their worldview and their priorities.
