BBC News - "Have Jedis created a new religion?"

I don't mind the association with Star Wars, so long as it doesn't detract from talking about what we actually believe. I think that's what grinds my gears most, when people take cracks at Jediism without even bothering to find out what we profess. Meh, I'm done with letting that get to me for now.

I think about how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints responded to Trey Parker and Matt Stone's highly irreverent play The Book of Mormon: they paid to have ads for the Church in the playbill which read something like, "You've seen the play/ Now discover the book!" When people slander Jediism I guess I just have to laugh it up because it draws attention to our tiny religion when we wouldn't otherwise draw such attention.

Fictional inspirations are great. Whatever gets you through the night be it Aesop's Fables, Zen stories, Jesus teaching with parables or Star Wars fiction - it's alright. It's alright.

Proteus wrote:

ren wrote: I wonder if christian priests who are fans of star wars go to church wearing their cutom-built vader suit?
There is a time and place for things, and cosplayers can go to cosplay events, even as you point out organize large charity events. The 501st's target market are kids. I never went through religious education as a child, however my understanding is that people who did thought it sucked. As such I wouldn't send a Jediist to talk to teach a kid dying from leukemia about the Force, what I'd do (and actually did on this very day), is give them something to cheer them up (in my case a massive "frozen"-inspired cake)

And you didn't have to cosplay at all to do that I assume.

oh no, I don't cosplay at all. I don't have a problem with cosplay, simply pointing out that it's ok under certain circumstances only. similarly my cake would not be welcome in the workout check-in thread for instance.

In our case star wars cosplay and religious parctice imo do not mix well. At that last US gathering for instance it was reported some of those who attended were happy to wear their costumes, but instead of engaging in the "jedi" activities decided to get wasted on booze. As some of those people were also the focus of that documentary, am I to assume real jedi will be depicted as alcoholics who like to pretend they live in star wars?

Kitsu wrote: When I read the disclaimer I physically cringe because it makes me feel like I am not welcome because this temple finds my Fictional inspirations "Not Real Enough." It may not be what it means....But it is how it feels.

We have had people leave, not realizing wecwrre serious....

After all the disclaimers and what not, people have joined and once they realize we are not roleplayers, ask to have their accounts removed.

If the still happens, and it does, then I can't imagine how many it prevents....

As long as the roleplayers (apologize for the term) take it serious, and realize that this community doesn't embrace it (on site), then no problems...

As you said, and I have before, "right place, right time"....

As to the fiction, as a Christian, I didn't dress up like Jesus or god or a disciple....

But, I still didn't "distance" myself too much, lol...

"To each their own...."

ren wrote: am I to assume real jedi will be depicted as alcoholics who like to pretend they live in star wars?

I cannot speak for Laurent and his directive. I can assure you, however, that no one was "Drunk" and all were on their best behaviors around the camera. A very small select few 4 out of 31 member took off to pursue their own interests that did not involve the Camera Man, and all those who were in costume were only in costume for 2 hours out of 3 days (Not including the two Pre-Gathering meet Up points) As host, Director, leader and organizer of this gathering. This. I swear.

Yes. We wore costumes. Yes. We had lightsabers. Yes. Yes. And Yes. 2 hours out of three days. Im sure that was such a horrible thing for the community /sarcasm.

Ideally then IMO, we'd use individual elements of the fiction occasionally only to represent elements of the real world Jedi path being taken. To channel any interest into the real Jedi path, we could turn it around and say perhaps in the movies those items or behaviours represent the same useful things that they do for us, rather then us trying to represent ourselves as something we are not (for whatever reason!).

My idea is to give credit where credit is due, give to Caesar what is Caesars... Lets face it if it wasn't for George Lucas i would not know of the FORCE. Most of us would not know . The role players....(theres gotta be a better name hu?) are simply doing what to them is fun and right. Nothing wrong about that. There is no Harm being done. We as the Temple are in full function and very much so a living thing. Spend 5 minutes in the Temple and there is no other view than to realize we are a community of higher thinkers. How we speak what we speak and where we get our information is what sets us apart. The fact that Our Pastor and clergy keep us there as well as our Counsel members says alot for much now a days. We are organized and wel situated. When i joined i was welcomed to take as much a part as i needed and wanted. I have had help along the way to life changing truths. The truth is we may get offended at the fact that we are tied in to others but that is neither here nor there. We as JEDI must rid ourselves of this "felling" of upset, it profits nothing and only brings discord.Not only to others and the media but to ourselves. Embrace where we have come from and uphold what we are. By doing this we will be seen as we truly are. Ps dont worry what people say about us, i challange any one...outsider ...to take a few minuts to get to know us. What they will find may change their life. And if only one from the multitude, then isnt it worth it to pass the light on?

Jestor wrote: As to the fiction, as a Christian, I didn't dress up like Jesus or god or a disciple....

*waves*

I do. I've been Caiaphas (the High Priest during the Passion story), Christ, Elisha, and others. And never once have I had anyone confuse me with a Jewish priest, or the Son of God, as a person. Everyone understood it was a role I was playing at the time, and I was still free to offer information about the religion itself.

#jusssayin'

steamboat28 wrote:

Jestor wrote: As to the fiction, as a Christian, I didn't dress up like Jesus or god or a disciple....

*waves*

I do. I've been Caiaphas (the High Priest during the Passion story), Christ, Elisha, and others. And never once have I had anyone confuse me with a Jewish priest, or the Son of God, as a person. Everyone understood it was a role I was playing at the time, and I was still free to offer information about the religion itself.

#jusssayin'

I dressed up as Gabriel The Messenger of God for an entire afternoon. My job was to participate in a play and run a booth teaching both children and adult about the Avatar I portrayed.

I dressed up as a Pioneer and trekked across the mountain range in Utah for three days pulling a hand cart to learn about the trials of and tribulations of the Pioneers journey. We even had a "Indian Attack" that kidnapped one of our members and every rest break we learned bits of history and stopped at monuments along the way.

Just this year I dressed up in historic clothes and visited a Indian and World War 2 Encampment where we learned how to milk goats, spin wool, start fires, and make wooden bows.

When we dress up as Jedi at gatherings, we do as a formality in respect to the roots and foundations that inspired our path while teaching and training in: Kali Sticks Forms/Sparring, Swordsmanship, Power of Leadership, How to Feel the Force, Shamanic Journey, Runes, Discussion on Building Offline Chapters, and Andy's "Blot" which was quite spiritual and educational about the viking gods.

And to return to the main subject.....There were plenty of Star Wars quotes to go around :laugh:

I don't think it's all about a desire to be taken seriously. I suspect some of the ill feeling amongst those of us who choose not to go "costumed" is that we're much less visible, and if you speak to an average joe and mention you're Jedi they're likely to think you're one of those who do wear costume (which they're likely to have seen or heard of) and start asking about robes and lightsabers, and probably all the magic Force powers you believe you have... any misunderstanding, if repeated often enough, becomes an annoyance. If you don't really care who sees you as serious or not, but have no interest in robes and lightsabers, indeed if for your personal path robes and lightsabers and Force powers are pointless (as in... for the individual, not for anyone else) that can still get pretty tedious.

There's enough misunderstanding that we think we can do everything fictional Jedi can, for me the robes and sabers just bring public perception closer to that. They see a costume and assume you're "in character" as a Star Wars Jedi (or a pirate or a dinosaur, or whatever your costume happens to be). That's just the public perception of costume. But few of us really think we can lift spaceships with our minds or that we can wave our hand and get our way... whatever we'd like to think, we're already quite "divorced" from fictional Jedi because we don't share most of their more spectacular gifts, which is what most people remember them for. We are NOT "in character", in other words. So the costume just adds that layer of confusion which is avoidable.

Expanding on that... if you were ask 100 people what Jedi do, I'm guessing about half will talk about lightsabers, some others about telekinesis, and a few more about mind tricks. I doubt too many will start a discussion about syncreticism, self-knowledge or meditation. Some see a reason to embrace our connection with Star Wars... I see a reason to embrace our differences. Again, as I've said before.. that's one reason I chose THIS place, with its statement that it's not about cosplay, and not one of the alternatives which feature robe-clad individuals with plastic sabers on their landing pages.

Jediism for me is about action in the real world, in our everyday lives... I don't (personally) see a need to put on special clothes to do that. I can be just as good a Jedi in jeans and a t-shirt as I can in robes and a saber. I don't think I'm better than those who cosplay... but more than it just being "different strokes for different folks", the existence of cosplayers does have knock-on effects for those of us who aren't involved. I can live with it but if no-one felt the desire to do it, my life would probably improve by 0.000000000001%

By the way, I don't feel that disclaimer excludes those who like cosplay... it's just not the primary focus of this Temple. If it said "we are not a community of software testers" I wouldn't feel unduly excluded, I'd just know that's not what this place happens to be about. If all I wanted was discussion of software testing, I'd go somewhere else... as this isn't likely to be mistaken for a software testing forum the disclaimer is unnecessary, but the whole "mistaken for cosplay" issue IS something which happens.. as per the rest of this post.