Gene Roddenberry was *not* a Baha'i

[bak...@mc.net]

Ray and Kay Latter wrote:
>
> I was once told that Gene Roddenberry (sorry if I misspelled that) was
> a Baha'i, and this was the reason that so many Baha'i sounding remark
> are made in shows which he or his son have created. I do not know if
> this is true, and I don't want to spread rumors but this might explain
> some of the quotes.

Star Trek has a very special place in my heart, but as a "charter member"
Trekkie who fell in love with the original series back in the 60s, I can
assure you that Gene Roddenberry was definitely *not* a Baha'i. This is a
long-time rumor that has been circulated for years, and it continues to
rear its head on this list from time to time. Personally, I'd love to see
it laid to rest permanently, but human nature being what it is, I have a
feeling that's not likely to happen. The idea is just too appealing for
people to want to let go of it. :-)

Roddenberry was not a member of any organized religion, and he had a
rather negative view of organized religion in general. He did consider
himself a religious man, but his beliefs could be described as a mixture
of humanism and pantheism. For an interesting discussion of Roddenberry's
religious belifs, including quotes from him about what he believed in,
see the following website: http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/startrek.htm

And as long as the subject has been raised, no, none of the cast members
of the original series were Baha'is either (another recurring rumor that
may surface now and which I'd like to "head off at the pass"). I've read
a ton of biographical material on all of them, and have found absolutely
no evidence to support this idea.

I will say one thing in connection with this subject, though. I am firmly
convinced that the popularity of the Star Trek phenomenon is evidence of
the extent to which people are longing for unity, whether or not they
even know it. The image of diverse peoples living and working as one had
a powerful appeal in the 1960s, and still does, because that's what the
world is in such dire need of. The Great Bird of the Galaxy (the
nickname Trekkers use for Roddenberry) caught a little piece of the
spirit of this age and put it on our tv screens. I will always be
grateful to him for giving Star Trek to the world, but no, he was *not* a
Baha'i.

Regards,
Sharon Bakula