As an ex-Christian I'm particularly sensitive to "mumbo-jumbo" and proselytizing --- I find the Voyager episode "Sacred Ground" particularly distasteful, an episode that seems to be a clear attempt to capitalize on the Touched By an Angel audience; there were several high profile proselytizing programs in the 90s.
And there is a little of that here in DS9 with a conversation in the control room between those who have faith in religious credos and those who do not.
But it seems clear to me that these entities the Bajorans worship are real denizens of the Star Trek universe and there is room for them in the Star Trek pantheon.
The Original Series gave the answer for the origin of classical gods --- as though we, the audience, thought they were any more than drunken religion crafting by ancient Greeks and Romans --- Kirk and crew interact with these beings.
We also have telepaths and the Q Continuum.
The "Wormhole Aliens", or "Prophets", are part of the very backbone of DS9 and, (unlike many people, it seems), I prefer the first three seasons of DS9 when the stories were about Bajor and Cardassia and religious power struggles on Bajor.
And so, with all that in mind, I found Captain Sisko's telepathic or enlightenment journey to be much more believable, effective, and affective than when they tried to do the same thing with Janeway in Sacred Ground.
I was with the Captain when he refused surgery and I was equally with his son, Jake, when Jake made the call that Bashir should carry out the Surgery, they are delightful and eloquent opposing viewpoints.
And I even enjoy the pity I feel for the captain as he regrets not being in long enough to see and understand all the mysteries of the universe --- if he'd died how could those revelations have had any meaning?
He got enough answers.
And, besides, Winn is correct when she says that Bajor needs time for Bajor, that five years of independence from outside dictation is not enough to establish a strong, new identity that can keep its influence in an organization like The Federation.
A wonderful episode, 5/5.
And there is a little of that here in DS9 with a conversation in the control room between those who have faith in religious credos and those who do not.
But it seems clear to me that these entities the Bajorans worship are real denizens of the Star Trek universe and there is room for them in the Star Trek pantheon.
The Original Series gave the answer for the origin of classical gods --- as though we, the audience, thought they were any more than drunken religion crafting by ancient Greeks and Romans --- Kirk and crew interact with these beings.
We also have telepaths and the Q Continuum.
The "Wormhole Aliens", or "Prophets", are part of the very backbone of DS9 and, (unlike many people, it seems), I prefer the first three seasons of DS9 when the stories were about Bajor and Cardassia and religious power struggles on Bajor.
And so, with all that in mind, I found Captain Sisko's telepathic or enlightenment journey to be much more believable, effective, and affective than when they tried to do the same thing with Janeway in Sacred Ground.
I was with the Captain when he refused surgery and I was equally with his son, Jake, when Jake made the call that Bashir should carry out the Surgery, they are delightful and eloquent opposing viewpoints.
And I even enjoy the pity I feel for the captain as he regrets not being in long enough to see and understand all the mysteries of the universe --- if he'd died how could those revelations have had any meaning?
He got enough answers.
And, besides, Winn is correct when she says that Bajor needs time for Bajor, that five years of independence from outside dictation is not enough to establish a strong, new identity that can keep its influence in an organization like The Federation.
A wonderful episode, 5/5.