h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I did here that after the first Star Wars film (episode IV a new hope) came out, someone suggested to George Lucas that he could make a lot of money out of starting his own religion. From what I heard he treated the suggestion as a joke.

I have come across several peopel who do use the precepts in the films as genuine spiritual teachings and they do (from my very limited experience seem to be sensible well adjusted people who gain from it.

Before anyone decries such a made up religion, let's remember that it's not necessarily such a new thing. The Church of Scientology is reputed to be based on ideas L. Ron Hubbard had when writing fiction and some of the fictional alien cultures in Star Trek have caused people to consider the merits of an emotionless existence (like the Vulcan way) or a warrior ethos (such as the Klingons). There is also, I understand a religious group in America called "The Church of All Worlds" inspired by a Science fiction novel called "Stranger in a Strange Land".

Taking a wider field, it could be argued that religions revealed by prophets (Most, if not all, major world religions would fall into this category) could possibly be made up. I have heard it suggested that the part of the human brain involved in psychic, ESP and religious communication is inextricably and closely linked to the imaginative areas. This would suggest that wisdom received in this matter should be treated with some scepticism until confirmed by other means and that such wisdom may be influenced by the predjudices and beliefs of the prophet/psychic/shaman or whatever.

We neo-pagans are in the even more difficult situation of reconstructing a religious system which almost certainly had as many flaws as any other from evidence incomplete due to many centuries of persecution, and ignorance. In all honesty it is almost impossible to be a neo-pagan without relying on either revealed wisdom or made up stuff.

There is of course a great deal of made up stuff in all religions. Most, if not all, hymns and carols sung in church are not only made up but the hymn books include the name of the writers.

Is it not then a little hypocritical of us to condemn the Jedi religionists.

That said I hope they will keep an eye on one another to make sure nothing nasty creeps in anywhere. Remember that many atrocities are and have been committed by devoutly religious people. Still perhaps in an undeniably made up religion it is harder to be dogmatic and persecute heretics. Let us hope so.

Thou art God.

http://www.wegrokit.com/stranger_in_a_strange_land.htm

>>As Heinlein himself said in a letter to an avid fan, ". . .I would never undertake to be a `Prophet,' handing out neatly packaged answers to lazy minds. [. . .] anyone who takes that book as answers is cheating himself. It is an invitation to think--not to believe."<<

Thank you for catching that up front, BC. I hope the article didn't come across too much as condemning the Jedi as being foolish - they are simply seeking truth, like so many other religions, made-up or not.

The impulse to name your religion as "Jedi" could be called knavish (satirical, provocative, anarchic), but no one could really be that foolish.

What's foolish about it?

I cannot help but doubt that you ask that question innocently.

That isn't an answer!

Why are you so anti the idea of a Jedi religion?

Are you anti all "made-up" religions.
We all have right to believe what we want to believe but if you're going to criticise someone else's beliefs, I do think you ought to justify it rationally.

What I am against is the attempt to give credence to a religion that was specifically disowned by its founder. George Lucas placed the Jedi force in a galaxy distant from ours in both time and place, and said it was specific to that galaxy.

How much detail do you need to give, to label something "fiction"?

Well, I would only assume that out of about 500k people, at least a handful don't think of Jedi as fiction.

That's the funny thing isn't it?

The Buddha said "There are no gods". Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian. Marx was by all accounts not a Marxist. Brian said "You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves!"

But their followers corrected their humility--

Girl: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.
Brian: What? Well, what sort of chance does that give me? All right! I am the Messiah!
Followers: He is! He is the Messiah!
Brian: Now, f*** off!
[silence]
Arthur: How shall we f*** off, O Lord?