Jedi/Sith... light, dark?

Satanists have no uses for Christians in the Christian theology, and Christians would never accept Satanists just because they share the same theology. If the Sith and Jedi share the same faith system, the system either says that Sith are evil and enemies or that they are not. I was under the impression that the Star Wars mythology that forms the basis of the Sith and Jedi faiths places both paths in conflict with each other, and that Jedi could never accept Sith, or even a Dark Path because that is contrary to the greater good and the principle of Light in the Force.

Williamkaede wrote: So you are saying the Sith have a use at the moment.

I tend to believe that so long as there are "Jedi", "Sith" will have a use...
Also, from the perspective of enlightenment; so long as there is ignorance in the world, the "Sith" will have a use, and so will the "Jedi"...But by the same token, so will anyone who is devoted to learning of him/herself, seeking great inner "truths", and attempting to pass on what they have learned so that other less enlightened individuals might gain their own understanding from the knowledge.

Iron Wings wrote: Satanists have no uses for Christians in the Christian theology, and Christians would never accept Satanists just because they share the same theology. If the Sith and Jedi share the same faith system, the system either says that Sith are evil and enemies or that they are not. I was under the impression that the Star Wars mythology that forms the basis of the Sith and Jedi faiths places both paths in conflict with each other, and that Jedi could never accept Sith, or even a Dark Path because that is contrary to the greater good and the principle of Light in the Force.

OK, I was a "practicing" Satanist for a few years, so I know a thing or two on this subject, first hand.

While you're are correct in that some Satanists don't feel that they "need" Christians, and pretty much no Christian has enough understanding to recognize their "need" for Satanists; I feel it's important to point out that some on both sides understand the "bigger picture" and recognize the fact that one cannot exist without the other. To say that any extreme does not "need" its opposite is an exercise in ignorance, no offense meant. To illustrate what I mean, lets look at a coin, just as a "for instance"...there is one side, one extreme, that is "heads", and there is an opposite side, the opposite extreme, that is tails...if you remove either side, you have no coin. That's an extremely over-simplified example, but I think it will do. We keep coming back to the idea that one cannot have darkness without light, that one cannot recognize light without darkness.

It doesn't matter what dichotomy you chose, the result will be the same. One side will say that they exist separately and do not define each other. The other side will say that they cannot exist separately and they define each other. And another side entirely will pipe up with the concept that neither of those extremes truly exists. The debate is academic, as it has no bearing on "reality" tho, and has (long sense) become tedious, has it not? Is there anything "new" to offer on the subject?

Oh, and P.S. What Star Wars says, and what we say don't always (or often) align.

I feel that as Jedi, one of our “objectives” is to be centered.

There varying degrees, sides so to say, or distances from the hypothetical center that are (exist) and states of being could not “be” without these variations. When some people view the two they (naturally) are thinking of it as terms of extremes. But are the Jedi really “light?” And are the Sith really “dark?” And how would we actually know the difference unless we base our observations on the knowledge we have accumulated over years of experience?

Being that I try to remain centered (which is an ongoing endeavor) I do not see myself as “light” but just as a state of “am.” So could it be possible that my hypothetical opposite would be any extreme or state of being that is far away from center?

I honestly believe that there is a role to play for every aspect of existence. We may not necessarily like some roles that we encounter, but who are we to say that maybe they shouldn’t be?

But these are just my views and do not amount to much more than opinion.

Iron Wings wrote: Satanists have no uses for Christians in the Christian theology, and Christians would never accept Satanists just because they share the same theology. If the Sith and Jedi share the same faith system, the system either says that Sith are evil and enemies or that they are not. I was under the impression that the Star Wars mythology that forms the basis of the Sith and Jedi faiths places both paths in conflict with each other, and that Jedi could never accept Sith, or even a Dark Path because that is contrary to the greater good and the principle of Light in the Force.

When we are ask to define almost anything, somewhere in our definition, we proclaim, "its the opposite of_______"....

As to Jedi and Sith sharing a faith system, we both believe the Force exists, right?

You are looking at extreme opposites.... I think...

Which, I don't think really exist....

The "shades of grey" are all we are...

We will never see pure light, or pure darkness, nor even understand the actual concept... But, many think they do....

Imagine we are are standing on a 0 (zero)....

There are numbers on the "positive" side and there negative numbers on the "negative" side....

You tell me where you stand, although as I judge you, and know more of you, your position on this scale will slide up and down.....

Pure evil/darkness would never be reached, just as pure good will never be reached.....

I like the analogy of the number line to represent the sliding scale of evil/good. Purity is as approachable as the last number on the line...numbers continue into infinity, thus "purity" is unreachable...that is just a fantastic analogy...well done Jestor! :laugh:

Fear is wise. It is a reminder of danger, a cautionary response within us. But we should not let it rule us. A bit of Druid wisdom, "Be not to wise, be not to foolish."

I agree with Jestor on pure good and evil never being reached. Though psychopaths are probably the closest to pure evil you will ever get. Even Hitler had admirable qualities.

hehehe...Hitler

Fear is silly, caution is wise. Psychopaths can't be evil because (in their estimation) they've done nothing wrong.

Iron Wings wrote: Satanists have no uses for Christians in the Christian theology, and Christians would never accept Satanists just because they share the same theology. If the Sith and Jedi share the same faith system, the system either says that Sith are evil and enemies or that they are not. I was under the impression that the Star Wars mythology that forms the basis of the Sith and Jedi faiths places both paths in conflict with each other, and that Jedi could never accept Sith, or even a Dark Path because that is contrary to the greater good and the principle of Light in the Force.

Sometimes we must do things that aren't so good if we're going to serve a greater one. Keep the fiction out of this. Jedi and Sith can accept each other, we're just two ends of a spectrum. The Dark and Light aspects are within each and every one of us. The Force, if you believe in such a thing, is a neutral force. It is the practitioner who is 'light' or 'dark'. I am of the Dark Aspect, yes, because it fits in with my philosophy. I am not inherently evil, greedy, sociopathic, conniving or tyrannical. Anything I am is the result of my experiences in life and my reactions to them.

I believe in passion, the acquisition of strength, the application of power and the celebration of victory. Why? To meet whatever ends I choose. I've ambition and it's serving me well in my career. Why do I have a career? To buy shiny things. Why else do I have a career? To feed my family. That ambition sends me to better places in the workplace, which I can use for shinier things for me and nicer things for my family.

There's parallels between the Christians and the Satanists and the Jedi and the Sith, sure. But a lot of them end at the fiction universe. What carries over is the philosophies. LaVeyan Satanists revere the power of the Self, Christians revere the power of their God. Any animosity or fighting is only the act of people too intolerant to handle the concept that anything else can work.

And Jestor, as Khaos has said, most Sith don't bother with the Force outside of the lessons. A few do, especially the more magickally inclined ones. I've made my interpretation of it clear in the past.

Also, we've invoked Godwin's law. /thread?

Williamkaede wrote: And Jestor, as Khaos has said, most Sith don't bother with the Force outside of the lessons. A few do, especially the more magickally inclined ones. I've made my interpretation of it clear in the past.

Also, we've invoked Godwin's law. /thread?

Yea, forgive me, I mean no offence...

By the words "bother with", are you saying that most Sith say it doesnt exist?

All I said was we believe it exists, not that you study it, worship it, or do anything with it....

I had to look up Godwin's Law, I can see that, lol...

Especially when discussing good and evil, or topics in that vein of thought...

He is the modern day "poster boy for evil", lol....