A couple of questions...

And a Jedi Knight was forced to kill her Sith brother... that didn't work out so well either. :laugh: :whistle:

Marijuana, B&D, and S&M Jedi wedding ceremony... just a thought.

Attachment to material goods seems to be the main issue that people have. I love my car, my house, my tv, my iPhone, and I'm willing to murder other people or watch them die so I can keep it. I turn a blind eye to child slave labour so I can have a microsoft mouse for a little less money.

StudentOfTheForce wrote: Masters and councilors, I am confused on the topic of being in a relationship. I know Jedi should not form attachments, but is ceremonially pronouncing love for another anything like that? Basically I want to know if one can be a Jedi and still date/ marry?

"Obsessive/unhealthy attachments" are what we are wanting to avoid... In my opinion...

My wife, kids, family, phone, house, car, TOTJO, martial arts, and a whole lot more.... lol...

The inanimate objects are the easiest (should be) to let go...

Then, choices would have to be made...

I love my daughter, but, I had to divorce her mom.... For my mental health....

Long story... lol, aren't they all when of this type?

When an attachment forces a "questionable" decision....

A decision that would seem counter to "normal" thought processes....

That "normal" thoughts might deem as detrimental to the well being of something or "someone"...

Then it becomes "unhealthy" or "obsessive" attachment....

And should be avoided....

Jestor wrote: I had to divorce her mom.... For my mental health....

I know that feeling Master J

Of all the lessons I have learned here, the one that rings loudest for me is this:

Be who you want to be.

There are steps to this lesson, like knowing who you are and understanding your potential, but this lesson is the most important to me.

Now, as for marriage, entering into marriage usually is a very emotion-filled adventure. Instead of thinking marriage as the ultimate attachment, think of it as finding a person to share the adventure of life with, and enjoying that adventure together. The emotion that can come from marriage is the result of what you put into it. Like everything, garbage in equals garbage out.

In the end, it all goes back to the lesson above. If you choose to marry or not because that is who you want to be, good for you! Understand yourself, know what you want in life, and then GO GET IT!

Alexandre Orion wrote: NO !!! YOU MUST BE CELIBATE - NEVER TOUCH NOR LOOK AT ANYONE - AND MIND YOUR THOUGHTS !!!

:laugh:

- oooh ! if that were the case, we would be so screwed !

I don't want to seem disrespectful by arguing with you as a Councillor and I am aware that the part of your post which I quoted is meant ironical. However, I do have to disagree with you if what you are saying is that being celibate (out of religious or spiritual motives) is generally bad or "inferior" when compared with being in a relationship. The No-attachment rule of the "old" Jedi Order in the movies has it value because it enables the Jedi to remain free to serve the Force in a very special way and the people which need his/her assistance. In my opinion, it is exactly the love for Padme which turned Anakin to the Dark Side. Had he followed his oath and not entered into a relationship with her, Palplatine wouldn't have been able to manipulate him to such an extent. As is seen in the end of Episode III, his love for Padme ultimately leads to hate and to his falling prey to the Dark Side.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that relationships are bad and we should all be celibate, I'm just arguing that there are two sides to the coin here and that it is a very complex and difficult topic to which there is no easy answer.

In real life by the way, I know quite a few (Catholic) priests and monks/sisters who live in celibacy and they are (mostly) happy and content with it because they say it "frees them up" and enables them to focus their attention on serving God and their fellow men.

Quick note: Jedi were/are not celibate. In Star Wars I mean. It is something many fiction writers miss unfortunately.
But Lucas revealed that despite their monastic regime, Jedi were permitted to have sex.
"Jedi Knights aren't celibate - the thing that is forbidden is attachments - and possessive relationships."
George Lucas Interview May 2002 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1989505.stm

Second Note: It wasn't Anakin's love, but his fear of loss. It was his possessiveness and greed. His lack of trust and communication. He didn't trust Obi-Wan would understand his position. He didn't want to have to chose between being a Jedi and having a family. And instead of confronting this problem, he ran from it. His fall, if you can call it that, was not a by-product of love. Lust, Greed, Guilt, Lying, Vanity, but not Love. If he truly loved Padme he would have been more than willing to give up the Jedi Life in order to save her.
It is also a lesson in self-fulfilling prophecy. By trying to run from it he created it. There is no magic solution. Sometimes you just have to man up and accept the consequences of your actions. You have to make a choice.

Anyhow. Sexual Well-Being is an important factor to consider in one's personal well-being. But if we are to look at the fiction - then do note Jedi were allowed to have sex. And anyone who has looked into the subject understands sex has very clear biochemical effects. Which can be very beneficial. But just like spiritual well-being, there is no one size fits all answer. So there is the other side of the coin for you.

Thankfully us actual Jedi do not have such restrictions. And we must deal with the juggling act of relationships and living as a Jedi. But the lesson of Anakin can help us in that. Communication - Trust - Openness - Willing to Own Up to Our Choices and Mistakes - Understanding that not making a choice is still making a choice. So on and so forth we see exactly what not to do. Actually adhere to the Jedi Path.

I'm just wondering why more people don't use the chat?

BWright24 wrote: I'm just wondering why more people don't use the chat?

Complicated question...

The busiest times for the chatroom tend to be before, during and immediately following live services (the next services are 7th and 22nd June, exact times tbc). Numbers in attendance at services vary but are often between 10-20 people so, as I'm sure you can imagine, chat gets quite lively when they all stick around afterwards!

Chat used to be busier back in the days when you could see exactly who was in there before entering. Which probably doesn't say a lot for our bravery I'd always encourage people to stop by - true, you don't know who you might come across, but can't that be a really positive thing? You get to meet really interesting people who you might otherwise never think of talking to...

Probably the main reason for the lack of activity in chat is because we have an unoffiicial Skype group which serves the same purpose. If you (or anyone else reading) want to be added in to it feel free to PM me your Skype name and I'll make sure you get issued an invitation to join.

Not to mention many of us miss the shoutbox....it was much more convenient and didn't require opening another window....