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I was sick last week and ended up watching a lot of Star Trek Voyager episodes. One, called Mortal Coil, has a good lesson in the purpose of life — even in the midst of faith crisis. The plot centers around a character named Neelix who dies on a mission. He’s without any vital signs for 18 hours. However, they are able to revive him using new technology.
However, this causes Neelix to enter a faith crisis. According to his own belief system, he should have ended up in a beautiful Great Forest during the period he was dead, greeted by his sister and family who had died years previously. But that didn’t happen. He was dead, and since he didn’t go to the Great Forest, and had no after-life experience at all. Therefore, he believes his lifelong religion is a lie.
The experience makes Neelix very angry about what he’d been taught spiritually by his people, as well as a host of other emotions.
I was pretty riveted to this episode, as any Mormon in a faith or commitment crisis would likely find it engaging.
You can watch it for free here if your internet experience is like mine:
http://www.tv.com/shows/star-trek-voyager/mortal-coil-10719/ I think the episode provides a good reason for life even when our fate in the afterlife is uncertain.
Ah, Star Trek. Is there nothing you can’t do!!! I think I may have seen this episode way back in the day! I had forgotten all about it. Thanks for bringing it up. I’ve long been convinced that we should replace the 2nd two hours of the two hour block with watching an episode of Star Trek followed by a discussion of the same. Religion was a constant subplot in Deep Space Nine – and sometimes the main plot. Deep Space Nine is the anti-Trek, and a poorman’s Babylon 5. Thought Voyager started badly but improved.
Is there a religious explanation for all the weird foreheads in New Trek?
I see there’s already an answer to my question, so I’ll just post it: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_are_all-Star_Trek_aliens_humanoid ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_are_all-Star_Trek_aliens_humanoid I always wondered why in most science fiction the overwhelming majority of all evolved sentient species were humanoid (two arms, bipedal, etc.). The real reason is the reason given in the link, budgets and possibly a lack of imagination, but we’re talking within the context of the universe they create.
When watching things like Star Trek, The Day the Earth Stood Still, etc. I can’t help but think of the implications of aliens that look
exactlylike humans. To me it should give earthlings pause because it confirms a universal creator that didcreate beings in their image but it’s always glossed over. Granted they can’t shoehorn in that subplot into their story but it’s still an issue that’s rarely addressed. I haven’t seen it but I hear Prometheus addresses the issue a bit. An alien comes to a planet capable of supporting life (Earth) and seeds the planet with its DNA. Of course there’s all sorts of issues with that but it’s time to suspend disbelief again.
I love that episode! Being a huge Star Trek fan I find they deal with all sorts of issue’s of all kinds and there solutions or resoulutions to things are amazing! I have to say, I’m a DS9 fan. I get the criticism, but I love the fact that it’s in for the long haul, not just epi by epi storytelling. I agree. One of the most poignant TV episodes I’ve ever seen. There are a few real gems in all the Star Trek series.
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