I would like to give myself a chance to respond to the comments posted in response to my article. Thank you to those who agreed, and if not agreed at least appreciated and accepted my opinion. Thank you for being open to this religion, as we should be to all religions which are a guiding set of principles to a better path of life!
First of all, I would like to include some of the sources in which I found my information on Jediism and its backlash. The main websites in which I found information about Jediism & its following of the Force are:
http://www.thejediismway.org
http://templeofthejediorder.org
I read a couple of articles by the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/faith/jediism.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2757067.stm
I found my count of Jedi in the United Kingdom from this census:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/rank/jedi.asp
I also, of course, have watched all of the “Star Wars” movies countless times and would consider myself a fanatic.
In addition to the comments that I have received on this blog, there have been comments from my digg.com page, a Star Wars forum, and on a facebook group. I will try to explain myself and elaborate further on any questions, comments, and concerns that have been expressed.
User mbryant1, in a comment on digg, wondered how Jedi worship, if they congregate, and what they do together. On the website http://www.thejediismway.org, it states, “Jediism does not require prayer, worship, or other such actions as some other religions might. Instead of ceremonies, members of Jediism share common beliefs and ideals”. There are Christian Jedi, Muslim Jedi, Jewish Jedi, Buddhist Jedi, Hindu Jedi, Atheist Jedi, etc. A Jedi may or may not worship a deity/deities but does BELIEVE in the Force.
User jensen007 on blogspot pondered where the line could be drawn in creating a religion. I believe that there is no line to be drawn. He asked where the originality comes into play. Even though Jediism’s Force is very similar to other “higher powers”, I believe that it IS original. It is retracted from a completely different story than these other powers, and from a motion picture that hundreds of thousands of people can relate to.
User DeepJedi on blogspot obviously does not agree which practically anything I’ve written in my piece. His/her opinion is appreciated, but I think all should keep in mind that my article is an opinion piece, and that instead of tearing the author down my opinion should be appreciated, if not at least accepted that it IS an opinion and is valuable to some people. For the statement that not all Jedi believe in the Force, according to the numerous websites I researched, this is untrue. On http://www.thejediismway.org, it states, “Our fundamental belief in the Force is the overall common belief shared by all Jediism members”. On http://altreligion.about.com/od/alternativereligionsaz/a/jedi_religion.htm, it states, “Jedi believe in the Force, a specific energy that flows through all things and binds the universe together”. According to all of the websites on Jediism that I was able to find in my research, a Jedi believes in the Force, and that is the connecting principle of the religion. Just as you cannot be a Christian if you do not believe in God, according to these websites you cannot be a Jedi if you do not believe in the Force.
DeepJedi also claimed that films are not the most modern myth of storytelling, and that oral storytelling is just as modern. The point I would like to pose is that films have only been in existence since the late 19th century, while oral storytelling has been in existence for thousands, if not millions, of years. How can oral storytelling be more modern than film if it has been around thousands of years longer? “The Matrix”, “The Lord of the Rings”, and “Star Wars” are just a few movies which have been discussed as modern myths by anthropologists, psychologists, and historians alike.
It was also said that all serious religions today are taken from stories based in truth. DeepJedi claims that Jediism is taken out of a one-way, concrete, unchanging outlet: the film. It is claimed that these stories can only be taken away and converted, but then they become something else entirely. How is this not the exact same with the Bible? The Bible was composed thousands of years ago. To the modern world, it is concrete and unchanging. We cannot interact with the Bible. We can only convert and analyze it, and we cannot change it. The Bible is a compilation of written stories. “Star Wars” is a compilation of stories and metaphors presented through a different medium.
Both DeepJedi and jensen007 expressed their doubt in Jediism’s legitimacy because it is inspired purely from a business venture—a piece of entertainment whose creation’s only purpose was to earn money. The “Star Wars” saga was written and produced by George Lucas, who was inspired by anthropologist Joseph Campbell. Joseph Campbell, in his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”, took the idea of archetypes (myths from all over the world are built from the same “elementary ideas” or “archetypes”, as seen by Carl Jung), and used them to map out common underlying structures behind religion and myth. Campbell realized that all myths and stories are expressions of the same pattern, the “Hero’s Journey” (which Neo follows in “The Matrix” and Luke follows in “Star Wars”). Campbell said, “All religions are true, but none are literal.” According to Campbell, all myths (Star Wars, the Bible, etc.) should not be taken literally, but as metaphors and following a hero in his/her journey, which always seem to be almost the same.
If you do not accept Jediism as a legitimate religion, that is your own truth. But please do not decide what is the truth for others. For a Jediism follower, the Force is the truth, and a Jedi should be allowed to choose what power or belief he or she believes in.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Jediism: Legitimate Religion or Justified Mockery?
Weathering criticism from news companies like the BBC, supported fanatically by Internet-goers who create websites and sign petitions, and practiced by over 500,000 people in English-speaking countries alone, is Jediism here to stay? Jediism, a religion inspired by George Lucas’ “Star Wars” saga, has been taken seriously by few and mocked by many. But why isn’t Jediism considered a legitimate and official religion? It has over 390,000 followers in Great Britain alone and there are at least three established Jedi churches. However, doubt of Jediism as a religion might be because of the immediate yet inaccurate stereotypes that surround it. Is Jediism dressing up in costumes at movie conventions and waving a plastic lightsaber around? Is it being convinced you can shoot blue lightning bolts out of your hands and trying Jedi mind tricks on the weak? Hardly. Jediism, like many other popular religions today and throughout history, has a set of beliefs, a connecting purpose, and a very serious, faithful following of believers.
Jediism is inspired by the “Star Wars” movies, but the religion itself is nowhere near science fiction. A person who practices Jediism, many times referring to themselves as a Jedi, believes in an all-encompassing power known as “the Force” and knows that its guidance will set he or she on a path of right action. No Jediism follower believes and interprets the Force or Jediism in exactly the same way. A Jedi does not repute or support the existence of God, and many Jediism followers practice other religions, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc. The one thing that connects every Jediism follower is the belief in the Force. A user-created website called The Jediism Way says the Force “connects all living things, gives animation to the universe, and provides a template for existence”. The website also lays out the Jedi definition: “Jedi are a noble order of protectors, guardians of peace and justice, unified by their belief and observance of the Force. They are individuals who actively work to improve their own life and the lives around them every day.” Do I personally consider myself a Jedi? No. However, I, like many others, can relate to the principles and beliefs that Jedi devote their lives to.
I came upon the topic of Jediism while researching for an Anthropology project. In my Anthropology class, titled “Religion in Culture”, Dr. Michael Wesch asked my class the first day to define religion. It took the entirety of the class period, but we could all agree on some things that religion is: faith, a set of beliefs, explanation, institution, a spiritual outlet, and a meaning of existence were just a few. Jediism covers all of these and more. The belief in the Force connects Jediism followers and gives them a higher power to have faith in. The Force is a power similar to many others: Chi, Mana, Tao, Vigor, the Holy Spirit. Why are these names accepted but the Force is not?
Many argue that because Jediism originated from a movie, it is irrelevant and silly. But is the motion picture of today not the legend, myth, or story of the past? Different religions throughout history have originated from stories, myths, and legends and have been taken seriously and become official religions. In a technologically advanced and ever-evolving world, movies are the most modern form of story telling we utilize. Jediism, inspired by a movie, would not only be acceptable but in actuality more appropriate and relevant to today’s world. We as humanity are constantly changing, and many people agree that perhaps religion has not kept up. Jediism is a religion and an outlet for those people who are searching for a modern myth that follows something so big like the “Star Wars” phenomenon. What is wonderful about Jediism is that it does not dispute the existence of other religions or of deities. It only presents the existence of a higher power, an energy field spiritual in nature that binds and connects us all, and it gives those searching for a modern revelation something to believe in.
Jediism is inspired by the “Star Wars” movies, but the religion itself is nowhere near science fiction. A person who practices Jediism, many times referring to themselves as a Jedi, believes in an all-encompassing power known as “the Force” and knows that its guidance will set he or she on a path of right action. No Jediism follower believes and interprets the Force or Jediism in exactly the same way. A Jedi does not repute or support the existence of God, and many Jediism followers practice other religions, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc. The one thing that connects every Jediism follower is the belief in the Force. A user-created website called The Jediism Way says the Force “connects all living things, gives animation to the universe, and provides a template for existence”. The website also lays out the Jedi definition: “Jedi are a noble order of protectors, guardians of peace and justice, unified by their belief and observance of the Force. They are individuals who actively work to improve their own life and the lives around them every day.” Do I personally consider myself a Jedi? No. However, I, like many others, can relate to the principles and beliefs that Jedi devote their lives to.
I came upon the topic of Jediism while researching for an Anthropology project. In my Anthropology class, titled “Religion in Culture”, Dr. Michael Wesch asked my class the first day to define religion. It took the entirety of the class period, but we could all agree on some things that religion is: faith, a set of beliefs, explanation, institution, a spiritual outlet, and a meaning of existence were just a few. Jediism covers all of these and more. The belief in the Force connects Jediism followers and gives them a higher power to have faith in. The Force is a power similar to many others: Chi, Mana, Tao, Vigor, the Holy Spirit. Why are these names accepted but the Force is not?
Many argue that because Jediism originated from a movie, it is irrelevant and silly. But is the motion picture of today not the legend, myth, or story of the past? Different religions throughout history have originated from stories, myths, and legends and have been taken seriously and become official religions. In a technologically advanced and ever-evolving world, movies are the most modern form of story telling we utilize. Jediism, inspired by a movie, would not only be acceptable but in actuality more appropriate and relevant to today’s world. We as humanity are constantly changing, and many people agree that perhaps religion has not kept up. Jediism is a religion and an outlet for those people who are searching for a modern myth that follows something so big like the “Star Wars” phenomenon. What is wonderful about Jediism is that it does not dispute the existence of other religions or of deities. It only presents the existence of a higher power, an energy field spiritual in nature that binds and connects us all, and it gives those searching for a modern revelation something to believe in.
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