Watching Star Trek, any Atheist Trekkies out there
Offline I am 31 years old. I am a former tattoo artist. I have sung in metal bands. I consider myself to be generally a hip guy. But I grew up watching Star Trek The Next Generation with my Dad, who is the first atheist in my life. My Dad has always treated truth like a bond that makes humanity work, and that for that to happen we have to resist bullshit. My Dad popped the Santa Clause bubble, and also (in his own gentle way) the God bubble. He also introduced me to his favorite character in this brilliant space operaa: Lt. Commander Data.
I decided that I wanted to try to reconnect with this experience. I am really into Sci Fi movies and books, and I am even more into comic books. So I figured I might at least learn some sci fi canon. But it has really blown me away how much I love Star Trek.
I think most people who watched it at least liked The Next Generation.
So I will ask for everyone who reads this to please provide their favorite Star Trek character if you have one.
Mine is hands down T'Pol from Enterprise!
Your life is a love story!
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I'll get to this later, but I just have to say:
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
I'm a huge sci-fi fan. My favorite is the original series, I love the horrible special effects and that they were too damn stupid to put seat belts or harnesses on the chairs. I watched most of the Next Generation, DS9 and the first year or two of Voyager and then lost interest. Never watched Enterprise, kind of felt like the dead horse had been beaten enough.
If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.- Malcolm X
Love the latest movie - Star Trek (2009) - and I can't make up my mind between the new Scotty - Simon Pegg - or Karl Urban as McCoy. Though the young Chekov and Sulu were great as well.
In the old series - um - Uhuru for being female on a combat ship and not making her role smarmy or butch.
And for comedy - Galaxy Quest - the greatest Star Trek parody of all time.
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
Well, hello there.
My father was a nerd back before I was born and I have the nerd gene. I also have the navigation gene but I digress...
Anyhow, my father was a consultant to Desi Arnaz when he set up the original studio where TOS was filmed. Growing up, I played with official merchandise that was a personal gift from Desi Arnaz. For the record, even thought TOS was a CBS deal, my toys had the NBC logo on them because the deal fell through before the first episode.
So yah, I go all the way back.
Fast forward to the 90's:
So I am doing crowd control at TNG conventions. I can tell you plenty of stories from that time.
George Takei is not really a screaming queen. Many years ago, I walked him to an appearance and spent like 20 minutes alone with him. He had nothing to prove and had I had not a clue at the time, so I would not have been impressed. He was a typical reserved Japanese man.
The shirtless, sweath Takei from “The Naked Time” can be seen as a dead giveaway but IRL, he is not that dude.
Nichelle Nichols: Well, every time she showed up a bunch of people would call in a bomb threat. Never was a bomb found but the threats had to be dealt with. The episode “Plato's stepchildren” was the first interracial kiss ever broadcast.
Brent Spiner: I remember one con where some dude had a small gym bag. He opened it up for me to show the yellow cat inside. So we have a Spiner fan who brings a yellow cat to a con. I got on the radio to make sure that he never got close to the stage. I was afraid that he was going to get the cat autographed.
Michael Dorn: Pussy. Really, he is a huge pussy. I cannot say Pussy enough. He felt the need for twenty security people to stand between him and the crowd. To do that guts the staff from normal responsibilities.
As if we were ever going to do anything other than take a dive if he got rushed. That and who the fuck cares about him enough to make such a deal in the first place.
=
Jean Luc Picard, of course! What a Man.
Favorite character...that's hard. Pobably Dr. McCoy.
But I like Capt. Janeway, Data, Capt Piccard, and Capt. Archer too.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
Another sci-fi fan here. I just prefer books, because I don't know about many good sci-fi serials. Must look at the good old X-files some day.
When I was a kid, I regularly got up at 5 in the morning on the weekend to catch two episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.
But later, when I watched the old series with Enterprise under James T. Kirk's command, I remember thinking... Nah, the plot is always just about basic psychology (men vs. women etc) and outsmarting the enemy, how predictable...
As for my favorite characters, I'm really the generation of Voyager, so I'll pick mine there. Catherine Janeway and many others are hard to forget. But my favorite of them would be Seventh of Nine. Among other things, her character shows how emotions work, when you have shut them down for a long time and then suddenly switch them on.
I can see how psychology advanced since the first Star Trek, or maybe some taboos dropped.
Atheist trekkies? Sorry I misread. No theism, I promise.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
Right back at you.
Your life is a love story!
McCoy is a bad ass, and a good model skeptic.
Your life is a love story!
Lumninon, the apologies should be mine to make. I forget that there are theists that hang out on this board. if you hang out on the RRS board and like Star Trek there is plenty in common between us.
Forgive me for making that intro, I really want everyone who is into Star Trek to participate.
I have been meaning to check out Voyager, but I am still somewhat ignorant. Is it 7 of 9, or 709? Either way she is way hot!
I suggest you check out Star Trek the Next Generation, that one is the best one in my opinion.
Your life is a love story!
I'm a gigantic Star Trek fan. I credit science fiction in my childhood (reading, movies, TV) in general for a large part of why I am so attracted to rational thinking and science. It has been a huge impact in my life. I still daydream about space ships
As far as favorite characters...well, there are a lot. I'm too young to have seen the original series in its glory days, but I grew up watching all the movies. Wrath of Khan is probably my favorite, but I like them all. As far as TV, TNG and DS9 are my favorites, for different reasons. I like how DS9 made StarTrek more 'real'. I like all the series though. Janeway has an amazing voice. I liked the first two TNG movies, the rest are meh.
The new Star Trek remake is *amazing*. Absolutely love it. I could rant for hours (and have, to the dismay of my wife!) but I'll leave it at that.
Favorite character though? Honestly, that's pretty easy for me. Let me demonstrate:
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
http://www.wrongtees.com/images/dynamic/what_would_picard_do_design_black.png
Thats my answer to your statement!
Your life is a love story!
Help, I'm trapped on Youtube watching Star Trek clips!!! I predict a lack of productivity for a while.
You wanna see something fucked up, and rather awesome? Here you go.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Huge Trek fan... although I've never been to a St Convention... I got really dissapointed when they jumped the shark with "Enterprise"... That show had great potential...
My favorite series was Deep Space 9... despite Avery Brooks lack of presence.... Although I met him in an airport, nice Guy
...and I would push my mother into traffic to bang Jolene Blaylock
www.RichWoodsBlog.com
I am a big fan of the series, grew up watching the original star trek shows and movies, then after The next generation, DS9, voyager and enterprise ( I agree with rich this one had lots of potential). But I love Sci-Fi of all sorts, loved Tron with all it's cheesy fx and all, but it was forward thinking for it's time. Last star fighter, star wars series (the original 3 movies the last three were just too damn boring/annoying to finish watching in one sitting) Back to the future triology etc, etc, etc. So many sci-fi movies and series. So much fun
That Picard scene was so awesome that I posted it on Reddit.
Your life is a love story!
So far this thread has made me giddy with videos. Thank you for sharing this!
Your life is a love story!
I liked him for his smart@$$ remarks and for his voice of reason... in the Spock-Kirk-McCoy trio, he was the voice of reason between the idealistic emotion driven Kirk and the realist logic driven Spock...
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
Yeah, that's me.
'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' A. Einstein
Nice to know you and I agree 100% on at least one thing: Picard.
'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' A. Einstein
Seven of Nine is not only hot, she's also logical, intelligent, perfectionist... A fascinating combination. I remember the episode when she played the violin. Perfectionism is an interesting vice, it compels you to do things precisely, but takes the joy, fun and satisfaction away. Another thing she demonstrated. I think her character was written by someone really clever and experienced in psychology.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
Ahhh... Star Trek! I grew up on it, as is assumed by how big of a nerd I am (if it existed I would join the Church of the "holy" D20) and I would watch it whenever Doctor Who wasn't on. What I loved about it was that instead of stories about magic and the like, they were stories about ethics and morality and human choices. I always liked the original and TNG, but after that I didn't think they held up very well. If I had to pick a favorite character, it would have to be Q. He had the power of a god, but was simply a powerful alien. Talk about a great literary devise for stories about power, corruption, and ethics!
But as can be seen from my avatar, my real sci-fi love is Doctor Who. Personally I would say fuck having the Enterprise OR the Millennium Falcon, I want a TARDIS!!! Which, as I'm a pervy nerd, would obviously include Romana (Richard Dawkins, you lucky bastard, marrying my first childhood nerd crush), Rose "Bad Wolf" Tyler, and Amy Pond!
Oh... the things I would be willing to do to be on the TARDIS between the three of them...
Yeah, I'm not too proud, I realize that I'm a loser... But I can dream, can't I?
And I do! XD
"This may shock you, but not everything in the bible is true." The only true statement ever to be uttered by Jean Chauvinism, sociopathic emotional terrorist.
"A Boss in Heaven is the best excuse for a boss on earth, therefore If God did exist, he would have to be abolished." Mikhail Bakunin
"The means in which you take,
dictate the ends in which you find yourself."
"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government! Supreme leadership derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!"
No Gods, No Masters!
Q!!!! I forgot about Q - I loved Q! (but, not more than Picard, though.)
That little Ferringhi guy was good, too.... and Troy's mother... and the Enterprise Klingon, what was his name??? I would place him on equal ground with Picard.
He was HOT! 
Heck, they were all good.
(
'Ferringhi' is in Spellcheck!)
I just remembered - Worf!!
'Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.' A. Einstein
I have considered, for the last several years now, getting a tattoo of the D20. We should start a church of the holy D20 immediately!
Your life is a love story!
Q!!!! I forgot about Q - I loved Q! (but, not more than Picard, though.)
That little Ferringhi guy was good, too.... and Troy's mother... and the Enterprise Klingon, what was his name??? I would place him on equal ground with Picard.
He was HOT! 
Heck, they were all good.
(
'Ferringhi' is in Spellcheck!)
I just remembered - Worf!!
I think you expressed my typical response to Star Trek TNG.
Your life is a love story!