Inmate complains that prison 'bigots' are preventing him from practising his JEDI religion

Interesting to see the various different ways Jediism seems to filter into mainstream media;

"One former prisoner, who asked not to be named, said: 'If the prison service say it’s alright to be a pagan in prison and carry little twigs about pretending they are wands or a spiritualist who believes they can speak to the dead, then I think it should be alright for a prisoner to be a Jedi'."

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2609706/Jedi-inmate-unable-use-force-prison-bosses-refuse-recognise-Star-Wars-based-religious-beliefs.html

No such thing as bad press supposedly. At least they mentioned the 21 maxims in the article, and provided a fairly unbiased reporting of Jediism. I'm sure a lot of people came to join the ranks out of a sense of curiosity first, followed by a sense of belonging. We should be eager and willing to educate and welcome those who will inevitably find themselves here from this and other news stories.

On one hand I'm a little confused as to whether the inmate was serious or not, since they quote Star Wars in such a way as to suggest they believe it is real.

Personally, I read this whole article as sensationalizing Jediism for the sake of spectacle. On the other hand, they linked to both TOTJO and Jedi Church at the end of the article. I think the problem will be that articles like this will invite trolls.

Fortunately Jedi are very boring targets for internet trolls.

Interesting...

Thanks for sharing....

I moved this thread to the "news" forum...

It takes time to get recognized...

But you have commited a crime? That is against all religons including jedism!

lol, since when ?


(top comment on that article right now)

I read a recent article from somewhere else, basically the same thing, however it was far more mocking it seemed like. I may try and find the link and post it.

I have mixed feelings, which is why I never shared it when I first read it, but this one seems a bit less mocking and more realistic I suppose is the word.

" 'Jedis have been portrayed very negatively in the media ever since the tragic battle of Yavin IV, when Luke Skywalker and a group of left-wing militants targeted the Death Star in a terrorist attack, killing thousands of civilian personnel.
'Please withhold my name in the paper as I fear retaliation from the Dark Side. May the force be with you.' "

The problem with this article is that it has been written because of some Young Offender trying to "rock the boat" behind bars...

I agree that the prison system should recognize Jediism as a religion, and as such if it is to be put on a prisoners record then so be it.

I don't agree with, however, the fact that Jediism cannot be practiced fully whilst behind bars.... there are washing facilities, plenty of "meditation and yoga" opportunities whilst locked in your own cell and options for any dietary requirement, outdoor exercise and a library are also provided so there's opportunity there if you choose to take it.

On the one hand you have something here that should be looked into and corrected, but on the other hand it's clearly just an attempt to get one over on the justice system and gain a little "rep" whilst the guy is doing his time.

If an official statement was to be made from TotJO it should be based on the grounds that we believe the prison system should take the practice of Jediism seriously, but as practicing Jedi we see no need for any change in what is / isn't allowed as there is nothing in the current way of prison life that would stop a Jedi who shares the temples beliefs from practicing his faith behind bars.

I can't see any explanation in the article of what exactly it is that he wants to do that he is being prevented from doing. I find it quite hard to understand how you could be prevented from practising Jediism. Maybe he wants to wave a lightsaber around or something?

Sounds like a poser to me...I try not to judge but it smacks of someone just trying to get into the paper and stir up trouble for a laugh...

But, that 'What Do Jedi Believe In' box could be much worse. In fact, I'm quite pleasantly surprised by it.

V-Tog wrote: But, that 'What Do Jedi Believe In' box could be much worse. In fact, I'm quite pleasantly surprised by it.

Especially knowing a bit about the source... :blink: