50 Reasons why Star Wars is Better than Star Trek

8. The Force vs Atheism/Trek God

The creator of Star Trek — Gene Roddenberry — was an atheist, and much of his ideology was infused into the structure of Star Trek. Roddenberry once said: “We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.” With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the topic of religion is not something one comes across in the work of Star Trek. Even when Kirk meets a being claiming to be a god, it turned out to be a lie.

Star Wars is a different animal. Both the Jedi and the Sith adhere to the tenets of the Force. In fact, by the time of A New Hope, the Force is considered to be an antiquated religion. Here’s what Obi-Wan tell Luke about the Force: “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” That sounds an awful lot like a religion…something believed in by those who choose to believe in the Force (an unseen entity, by the way).

Winner: The Force. Regardless of your personal beliefs and ideology, there is no denying the pull of the mysterious Force. And, while it is a make-believe religion, it still holds an entire saga together. From the films, to the television series, to books, games and comics, the Force is in everything Star Wars. Plus, you can’t be a Jedi or Sith without using the Force…so there’s that.

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