In the Hands of the Prophets (DS9 episode)
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"In the Hands of the Prophets" is the name of an episode of the television science-fiction series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
The general plot of the episode is that Keiko, who operates a school at the Deep Space Nine space station in which she teaches children (most of whom are Bajoran), is accused of blasphemy by Vedek Winn, one of the spiritual leaders of Bajor, as she explains the scientific background of the Bajoran wormhole. Winn feels that, as the Bajoran civilisation sees in it a religious symbol (the "Temple of the Prophets"), the Bajoran children should be taught this theory in preference to Starfleet physics. After a bomb is detonated in the school, Commander Sisko is forced to seek help from Vedek Bareil, a Bajoran spiritual leader who has a different ideology than Winn.
The episode is significant in that it lays the groundwork for the tension on Bajor that would be more fully realized in DS9's second season. However, it also begins to bring Sisko and Major Kira closer together, as they realize that they both have Bajor's best interests at heart.
This episode explores the creationism vs. evolution controversy, with evolution represented by the United Federation of Planets' scientific explanation of the wormhole phenomenon and creationism represented by the Bajoran spiritual belief that the wormhole is the "Temple of the Prophets". However, the episode skirts the real-life issues somewhat: unlike the faith-based views of creation held by many today, both the wormhole and the aliens within it (worshipped by the Bajorans as "prophets") are actually very real and verifiable, so in essence, both sides of the debate in the episode are correct (a point that Sisko even makes at one point). The spiritual vs. scientific argument of the wormhole's nature is largely irrelevant anyway, as Winn is primarily using the conflict to create tension between Bajor and the Federation in the hopes of gaining political power.