The Energon Pub

Bear with me here, it's probably the only time my Philosophy combines with my Inner Nerd.

We all know what the Force is, and if you don't, then you are WAY behind the times. (By about thirty years)

Well, I thought, "Hey, this could be a pretty good religion."

So, if one were to make it a religion, here's a few possible ground rules:

-Don't think of the Force as it is in the movies. (Levitating objects, strangling, shooting lightning, etc.) Instead, think of it as how Obi-Wan told it to Luke: A connection between all living beings. While we aren't all "One" to begin with, we all do have a connection between us, and our surroundings.

-As Yoda said, don't mourn the loss of a loved one. When one dies, they become part of the Force. Their added spirit will always watch over us, and everything in the universe, and guide us along as the Force.

-Never throw the first punch. Instead, negotiate when confronting an opponent, and keep your cool in the process. If a fight ensues, don't kill, instead, incapacitate your enemy.

-Much like the New Jedi Order, you are allowed to Love. (The Old Jedi Order didn't allow emotional attachments, which, of course, led to their downfall) But if you love, love unconditionally.

-Do or do not, there is no try. And don't think of "Do Not" in the sense of refusal, it's actually "Failed." I.e. you either did something, or you failed to do it. "Trying" means you aren't totally determined.

That's about all I got. I might add more later.

Um, some people already started this and are already calling themselves Jedi. Last I heard they are outnumbering Jews in America. They are pushing for tax-free status as an official religion. They are likely to get it, due to the morals/proverbs based nature of the "Jedi." I'm all for it.

Shadowman is the messiah? is this shadowism? anyway this is how religion should be 100% cool, 0 interpretation.

The Chaos Bringer wrote:Um, some people already started this and are already calling themselves Jedi. Last I heard they are outnumbering Jews in America. They are pushing for tax-free status as an official religion. They are likely to get it, due to the morals/proverbs based nature of the "Jedi." I'm all for it.

Hm. But someone said that only a minority were doing this. Most were just doing it to be funny.

Also, why push for anything? Yes, there are times when one should be with the family rather than at work. But think: Most holidays are only about being lazy. Christmas is mostly about being greedy.

Now, national holidays I can understand. Birthdays as well. But one shouldn't be allowed any special treatment purely because of a religion.

Tammuz wrote:Shadowman is the messiah? is this shadowism? anyway this is how religion should be 100% cool, 0 interpretation.

Perhaps I'm the Chosen One, the one to bring Balance to the Force?

Ooh, here's some food for thought:

-The Sith would never identify themselves as such. Think of them as the Jerry Falwell of the Force. Sith believe in the superiority of the Force, that anyone who doesn't believe should be punished, either physically, or spiritually. They believe in fighting to prove a point, or to show superiority.

I'm down with this. It's at least as valid as Christianity. It's all just stories anyway. Why not believe in stories with crazy little green old-men in them instead of ones with blokes cutting limbs off and your father being your enemy?

craggy wrote:I'm down with this. It's at least as valid as Christianity. It's all just stories anyway. Why not believe in stories with crazy little green old-men in them instead of ones with blokes cutting limbs off and your father being your enemy?

I'm not talking about taking the movies/books/games the way Christians take the bible. I'm talking about the philosophical aspects of it all, which are raised by quotes from the movies/books/games.

I think I heard somewhere that 300,000 people or something like that identified themselves as 'Jedi' on their US Census forms. That's insane! But kind of cool...

Do I get a lightsaber if I convert to Jediism?

Jedi is the fourth largest religion in Britain.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2757067.stm

Thenedain wrote:Do I get a lightsaber if I convert to Jediism?

Ah, no. UNless you're willing to develop the technology yourself. Good luck getting the blade to stop. I suggest making it a very thin loop.

In any case, there is absolutely NO situation where a lightsaber would be required. It's a weapon, and, in that regard, one that has no use but killing. Remember, only fight if you can't negotiate, and even then, killing is out-of-bounds.

So, what would you do with a lightsaber, other than kill, remove someone's limb (Most likely your own), and show off?

And besides which, it has no use in this day and age as a defensive weapon. It can deflect beam weapons, but no one has beam weapons. And it wouldn't deflect bullets, either. It would only send a molten ball of metal into you.

Shadowman wrote:

Thenedain wrote:Do I get a lightsaber if I convert to Jediism?

Ah, no. UNless you're willing to develop the technology yourself. Good luck getting the blade to stop. I suggest making it a very thin loop.

In any case, there is absolutely NO situation where a lightsaber would be required. It's a weapon, and, in that regard, one that has no use but killing. Remember, only fight if you can't negotiate, and even then, killing is out-of-bounds.

So, what would you do with a lightsaber, other than kill, remove someone's limb (Most likely your own), and show off?

And besides which, it has no use in this day and age as a defensive weapon. It can deflect beam weapons, but no one has beam weapons. And it wouldn't deflect bullets, either. It would only send a molten ball of metal into you.

Theres loads you could do with a lightsaber, open tin cans, light up things in the dark, make toast, weld, um, make toast. The list is endless!

I thought that Shieks (sp?) where allowed to wear those cerimonial daggers in public if they want, by law. The same could be said for lightsabers, it wouldnt be for fighting, purly for ceremony.

I also heard there is actually a Jedi temple which has been built in a desert somewhere in the USA, might be an urban myth though. I'm puttin Jedi on the next census for sure.

Scientists are already working on getting some kind of plasma blade to extend from a handle. The only problem is getting it to stop after a certain point. If someone could figure that part out **cough, Japan, cough** then lightsabers could soon become reality.
As for deflecting energy beams, yes they would do that, and yes we do have them. But since the beam is continuous, deflecting it before it hits you would be impossible.

Thenedain wrote:Do I get a lightsaber if I convert to Jediism?

...does it come with insurance if we "accidentally" slice our arms off?

Probably no.
What if some poor guy slices off both arms in one go accidentally?

http://www.freewebs.com/jedi-praxeum/
They have a big network on freewebs apparently. Jedi Masters and all...

They're a big religion in Australia and Europe but I wouldn't mind giving it a go in the US.

Not an actual working lightsaber! Though, I can think of plenty of uses for a lightsaber outside of decapitation, the vast majority of them perfectly peaceful and benevolent.

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of the ceremonial dagger that Tangent mentioned. It seems to me that possession of a lightsaber would be the closest thing to a 'holy symbol' the Jedi have, and the one thing that marks them as such to the populace ( like when the little twit in Episode 1 catches a glimpse of Qui Gon's lightsaber hilt).

A better question! Should a real life Jedi religion be overseen by a Jedi Council, as it were? One could argue that there's many pros and cons to such an establishment. For example, a Council could provide for teaching of the new religions ideas to new devotees ( Pro! ) but could end up being blinded by their own dogma and end up nearly creating their own demise ( Con! ). Thoughts?

The Chaos Bringer wrote:Scientists are already working on getting some kind of plasma blade to extend from a handle. The only problem is getting it to stop after a certain point. If someone could figure that part out **cough, Japan, cough** then lightsabers could soon become reality.

So, yeah, where did you get this info?

Edit: I decided to add this bit in, as I was too tired to whip it up last night.

As for lightsabers in the Jedi religion. We would need them or something similar, the lightsaber, for a Jedi, is a true test of his devotion. Creating the lightsaber takes time, patience, mass amounts of skill, and in the Star Wars universe, shows just how far you have come in the ways of the Jedi. Setting the stones perfectly, making sure everything works, shows a balance, a balance that is reflected in the Jedi.

For the Jedi religion, if they were ever to create actual working lightsabers, they being whoever. They should be incorporated. The lightsaber is not a weapon to a Jedi, it is merely just an extension of his body, a tool. Yes, the tool can kill. But that is not what a Jedi uses it for. To wield one, let alone from making it, takes skill, determination, and a mastery of the "force."

Also, I think, the religion would need a Jedi council to preside over it. Because that would totally rock.

Now that is one religion I would join up to.

So, if one were to make it a religion, here's a few possible ground rules:

-Don't think of the Force as it is in the movies. (Levitating objects, strangling, shooting lightning, etc.) Instead, think of it as how Obi-Wan told it to Luke: A connection between all living beings. While we aren't all "One" to begin with, we all do have a connection between us, and our surroundings.

-As Yoda said, don't mourn the loss of a loved one. When one dies, they become part of the Force. Their added spirit will always watch over us, and everything in the universe, and guide us along as the Force.

-Never throw the first punch. Instead, negotiate when confronting an opponent, and keep your cool in the process. If a fight ensues, don't kill, instead, incapacitate your enemy.

-Much like the New Jedi Order, you are allowed to Love. (The Old Jedi Order didn't allow emotional attachments, which, of course, led to their downfall) But if you love, love unconditionally.

-Do or do not, there is no try. And don't think of "Do Not" in the sense of refusal, it's actually "Failed." I.e. you either did something, or you failed to do it. "Trying" means you aren't totally determined.

See these ideals are pretty universal and stuff. I could follow this.

Senor Hugo wrote:
Also, I think, the religion would need a Jedi council to preside over it. Because that would totally rock.

Not exactly.
What if the council is corrupt?
After all, people are still people.

optronix91 wrote:

Senor Hugo wrote:
Also, I think, the religion would need a Jedi council to preside over it. Because that would totally rock.

Not exactly.
What if the council is corrupt?
After all, people are still people.

Then...
LET THE WAR OF FREAKIN AWESOME BEGIN!