10 Most Meta Star Trek Moments
2. Superstition As Religion
Although Religion itself has existed in various forms in the Star Trek franchise, Gene Roddenberry believed that humanity would have moved past the idea of a God or gods by the 23rd and 24th centuries. Therefore, in Who Watches The Watchers?, Picard's reaction to being asked to portray one could have come from the mouth of Roddenberry himself.
Dr Barron is part of a sociological study of the Mintakan people when along with Dr Palmer, their hideout is discovered. Liko, a native man, is beamed aboard the Enterprise for medical treatment and accidentally witnesses an exchange, identifying Picard as a god. He brings this news back to his people on his return.
Liko begins to act in ways that he feels would please 'The Picard', which includes threatening the captured Dr Palmer with violence. Aboard the Enterprise, Barron encourages Picard to 'show the people a sign', that would calm things down. Picard flatly refuses.
Millennia ago, they abandoned their belief in the supernatural. Now you are asking me to sabotage that achievement, to send them back into the dark ages of superstition and ignorance and fear? No!
This is a bold statement on the nature of Religion. Deep Space Nine would go on to have their cake and eat it too, by having the Bajorans believe in the divinity of the Prophets, while others simply viewed them as Wormhole Aliens.