Business Quote by Gene Roddenberry
““I handed them a script and they turned it down. It was too controversial. It talked about concepts like, 'Who is God?' The Enterprise meets God in space; God is a life form, and I wanted to suggest that there may have been, at one time in the human beginning, an alien entity that early man believed was God, and kept those legends. But I also wanted to suggest that it might have been as much the Devil as it was God. After all, what kind of god would throw humans out of Paradise for eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One of the Vulcans on board, in a very logical way, says, ' If this is your God, he's not very impressive. He's got so many psychological problems; he's so insecure. He demands worship every seven days. He goes out and creates faulty humans and then blames them for his own mistakes. He's a pretty poor excuse for a supreme being .””
About This Quote
Source TV: Star Trek: The Original Series, episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, 1967
The script proposes that divine beings could be alien life, blurring lines between God and Devil, and critiques worship and human suffering
In simple terms: God and devil may be alien beings; worship is questioned
Key Takeaway
Question the nature of divinity and authority
Themes
theology
science fiction
philosophy
Mood
provocative
thought‑provoking
Type
speculative
critical
When to use this quote
- Screenwriting
- concept pitching
- creative meetings
- studio negotiations
Key Concepts
Divine authority
human origin
mythmaking
Questions to Reflect On
- How would you reinterpret a deity as an alien?
- What are the limits of satire in sci‑fi?
A Different Perspective
Religious themes can alien alien audiences; risk of controversy
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