Culture and Religion- does Jediism need culture?

Well... for me, at least, "Jedi Culture" isn't so different from regular "Geek Culture." I mean, it's an extension of my own interests of philosophy, comparative religion, and various sci-fi/fantasy series. I guess I always just figured one was an extension of the other.

shadowmere wrote: If the Jedi had culture then it would be drifting towards star wars i think. like wearing robes and having a lightsaber.

I disagree. You are taking a Jedi culture, and mixing it into the same bag as the stereotypes that we are portrayed as. We can have a culture without stereotyping ourselves. As a matter of fact, developing our own culture would set us free of that. Every sensible, respectable Jedi wants to be separated from that. I can guarantee you that that would not be part of our culture.

Now using these things in rituals, yes, I see no problem with that and having that included in our culture is fine, but you won't see Jedi running around the street every day wearing robes and waving plastic swords around. THAT will not be part of our culture.

Just my opinion, anyway.

"Mace I think you misunderstand the meaning of the word culture"

no ren I think you do. culture, as defined by my edition of the OED, is:

"the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc."

if you seriously think that coke and mcdonalds are admirable aspects of a culture then you have a very skewed idea of what "culture" is or should be. You say that America is a "world culture" and I'm sorry that is not the case either. As I said, America is the most monetarily successful country in the world, as a result for the past 100 years the USA has endorsed a policy of mass Americanisation (eg. the truman plan and the numerous proxy wars against communism) and in some cases that involves invading countries that they don't like or who might slip into a political ideology that they are uncomfortable with eg.

Vietnam, Phillipines, Korea, Cuba, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nicuragua, etc.

You call the usa's "trillion dollar industry" an aspect of their culture, rather, it's just a great example of the incredibly unimaginative and materialistic society which is so prominent in America. A great deal of American movies are dreadful, the sole purpose of them is to make money and NOT to great a piece of artwork - something that would be an admirable aspect of a country's culture. They are unimaginative because they are almost always just ripped off of something else, even Star Wars takes it's major theme from the Akira Kurosawa film "The Hidden Fortress", and if you want an example of Hollywood destroying great ideas, look at say the tintin movie or war horse. Even Clockwork Orange the movie and when the book itself was published in America removed the last chapter of the book because American audiences and readers wouldn't understand it or be able to cope with it, despite the fact that the last chapter demonstrates the whole point of the book.

Don't even get me started on the "bitches, money, drugs, live for the moment" circle of life type music that the USA manages to spew out of it's hatch almost every day (and even then it's mostly produced by that ahole David Guetta who is French).

Sorry for ranting so much and I (honestly) am not some sort of commie, USA hating bastard but there are a lot of things about the USA's supposed culture that bother me and a lot of people around the world a great deal.

NO culture? Really? Cold beer, chips and dip, all on a Sunday afternoon Super Bowl party. It's tradition, it's culture for us. Deep fried foods at a carnival, barn dances, various styles of music (country, jazz, R&B, pop, etc etc). And don't forget about Broadway. And don't even get me started on Southern culture. Just because you don't like many things we consider part of American culture, doesn't mean they aren't. "Crap" culture is still culture, my friend. Just because you don't like our culture, doesn't mean we don't have any.

We do produce great movies, we have artistic music (gotta look past the mainstream crap), we have our fair share of artists, writers, and inventors. Don't be so quick to judge us without spending time with us. Open your mind, eyes, and ears, and sit aside all of your negativity that's spread around about us. Don't group all of America into one category the way the whole world does.

So now we're bashing one another's cultures, putting each other into generalized groups, and making assumptions? That seems like a very Jedi thing to be doing, especially since the purpose of the thread was to further unify us as opposed to creating bigger gaps.
There are major flaws in every culture I can think of, but the people here are furthest from those groups of people that create them. There is no reason to show disrespect nor to feel the need to defend. This isn't a place we should feel the need for either.

As far as establishing a Jedi culture, until we are of a unified mind, none of that will happen very easily at all.

The acculturation of subjects from culture A to culture B can take three forms: the more acculturated subjects may make responses that are similar to the responses made by subjects from culture B (accommodation). The y may go beyond Bs position (overshooting). and they may move in the opposite direction from the position of the members of culture B (ethnic affirmation). The paper presents three sets of data concerning elements of subjective culture (role perceptions, behavioral intentions, and stereotypes), with subjects speaking Spanish and residing in the U.S. who are at three levels of acculturation. The data show that role perceptions and behavioral intentions are characterized mostly by accommodation. while stereotypes are characterized mostly by ethnic affirmation. A theoretical explanation of this pattern of results is that elements of subjective culture are linked to overt behavior both directly and indirectly. As members of culture A acculturate to culture B, their behavior becomes similar to the behavior of members of culture B. Those elements of subjective culture that are directly linked with this behavior change; however, those elements that are not directly linked do not change or even show ethnic affirmation. Testing of this theoretical formulation will require additional research.

-- Abstract of "Acculturation Indices as a Means of Confirming Cultural Differences"
---- Harry C. Triandisa, Yoshihisa Kashimaa, Emiko Shimadaa & Marcelo Villareala (2007)

http://www.marin.edu/pdfs/thatsnotwhatimeantpdf-v2.pdf

Yes.

hmm...
Culture, religion, philosophy, society...

My answer to the original question: no.

Why?
Because the world culture is jedi-culture. We can find the force in every ritual, every culture, every philosophie in this world. It doesn't matter if you call the force spirit, krishna, Ki, Manitou, rainbowsnake or whatever you want. It is all just another sight of the force.

In my eyes jediism is something like a global philosophy and certainly culkture, too.
It doesn't matter if I am sitting in a catholic church, if I meditate with my zen-master, jump through a fire when Beltaine is, practice Aikido or worship Cernunnos in paganism.
Jediism is the unitiy of all, we feel comfortable in every culture, because we can see that all is one. And if not - okay, then there's something to learn!

Surely we have our own rites, prayers and practices to get in contact with the force, but I don't like the idea of creating something "special", because there are many hazards:

With an own culture you will begin to make it small and "special". You will separate jediism fromn other religions or cultures, put it on the same level. an elite will grow with a secret knowledge and just the worthy ones will get in this secret circle... and then jediism is nothing more than any other religion or sect.

Or are my thoughts going too far? :dry:

The bones for a spiritual/culural religion have been set out for us...all we need to do is build on them and that takes time and positive action.
Eleven days of Jedi representation have been selected, and their meaning provided, we need to embrace them,celebrate them, together. Begin our own ways of celebrting them...with what all cultures and religions do...associate particular, activities,decor,and food with "OUR" holidays. Ask for Dec. 31st off work as a religious holiday... Jedi Day of Reflection, and then pay tribute to it.
If we don't start the wave, it will never be started!
MTFBWY always