'Star Trek: Discovery' producer dispels reports that cast is not allowed to mention God

The executive producer of the upcoming television series "Star Trek: Discovery" has said that the cast is still allowed to mention the word "God" despite previous reports that the word has been banned on set.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jason Isaacs, who plays Captain Lorca in the series, suggested that any mention of God in the show was out of bounds.

Isaacs recounted that during one high-action scene, he ad-libbed the phrase "for God's sakes," but the episode's writer Kirsten Beyer approached him and gave him a correction on his ad-lib.

Beyer explained that "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry envisioned the show as a science-driven 23rd-century future when religion no longer exists.

When Isaacs sarcastically asked if he could say, "for f***'s sake," Beyer replied, "You can say that before you can say 'God.'"

"Star Trek: Discovery" executive producer Gretchen Berg, however, clarified that cast members are still allowed to use the word "God" for religious and exclamation purposes.

"In our room, it's something we discuss a lot," Berg told The Nerdist. "I don't necessarily agree with [Isaacs'] quote. On a show about diversity and with different points of view, I feel like you have to accept that some people believe in God, some people want to worship a potato, and some people don't want to believe in anything. I think there is room for that on Star Trek," she added.

Berg went on to say that she believes the word "God" has already been said in the series. "They are allowed to say it [God]. God fits in the patchwork in everything that is represented by Star Trek," she said.

The Telegraph noted that Roddenberry's atheism has long been acknowledged within the "Star Trek" franchise. In an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Captain Jean-Luc Picard was mistaken for a God by a primitive civilization. He objected to the idea of not confirming the truth to the people, citing mankind's rejection of religion long ago.

Roddenberry, who was raised as a Baptist, started rejecting his faith during his teenage years and later identified himself as a Humanist.

Despite Roddenberry's rejection of faith, the word "god" has long been part of the "Star Trek" universe. The Nerdist noted that Dr. Leonard McCoy has been using it as an exclamation since the earliest days of the series.

Meanwhile, the new series will reportedly feature its first openly LGBT crew member, Lieutenant Stamets, who will be played by Anthony Rapp. The first episode of the series will run on Sunday, Sept. 24.