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If Gene Roddenbury was still alive and active in the production of "Enterprise", I don't believe he would have not gone there either.

Or Majel Roddenberry, either, who now controls the enterprise (so to speak).

Roddenberry wasn't shy about promoting good old-fashioned "Americanism"; one episode in the original series features a planet where people have somehow come into possession of a U.S. flag and a copy of the Constitution, courtesy of an errant space probe (like Voyager in Star Trek: The Movie, the one with Persis Khambatta). And in another episode, a whole world has gone Gangsterland, reproducing 20's Chicago right down to the Thompson choppers and Packard getaway cars.

He wasn't too averse to sex in the first series, either -- Kirk hit on that yeoman enough times to get bounced out of Starfleet for fraternization -- so that he can't be said to have sheltered behind "barber shop rules" or "bar rules" for avoiding controversial subjects. But you're right, the series seldom portrays any human being as devoutly religious in any religion whatever. I can't think of any characters in DS9 who would meet that description as "religious". Commander Sisko becomes "the Emissary", but he's sucked into someone else's religion, and into interacting with Bajoran religious leaders and divine presences (who are explained away as various sorts of benevolent or malign [the Pa Reis] disembodied space beings). None of the other major species depicted in the DS9 series exhibits any strong tendency toward religiosity, other than the (enslaved and conditioned) Vorta.

As for themes that suggest scratching itches, I was struck by the number of Voyager episodes that revolved around group consciousness(es)......mostly involving the Borg or ex-Borg. In DS9, it was the Prophets and Pa Reis. Anyone else notice that?

>>>And in another episode, a whole world has gone Gangsterland, reproducing 20's Chicago right down to the Thompson choppers and Packard getaway cars.

You speak of the episode called, "A Piece of the Action". It was one of many of the TOS episodes that worked within a very tight budget. The use of old Hollywood street sets was employed to save ca$h. It turned out to be a very enjoyable and funny ST.

Haven't been watching "Enetprise" lately. It doesn't hold up to the standards set by Gene Roddenbury in TOS, STNG or DS9. I think TPTB should have created a show that went into the future, instead of going back in time. Next time around, if there is a "next time", hopefully they'll do a better job.

"Roddenberry wasn't shy about promoting good old-fashioned "Americanism"; one episode in the original series features a planet where people have somehow come into possession of a U.S. flag and a copy of the Constitution, courtesy of an errant space probe"

That was the writer's doing. Majel Barrett in an interview later described that episode as one of the more ridiculous ones in her view, and was agast at Kirk almost saluting the American flag at the end of that episode.