A "religious" question.

Absolutely possible; especially because there are atheistic Jedi here.

Like Adder, I might be considered atheist under some definitions, but like Hypatia, I believe in the Force, too.

And with that...

MTFBWY,
LTK

I call myself an atheist Jedi (as I said in chat) so it is very much possible

I do not 'believe' in The Force as a matter of faith or trust in the existence of some kind of deity or higher power

My 'belief' in The Force is a viewpoint. A perspective and a way of looking at the world and how we are all interconnected. I do not believe there is some vaguely undefined (and scientifically unproven) 'energy field' but there are many Jedi and some do

We are all equal in our beliefs. We just present different perspectives. Much the same with any religion


The link for Br John didn't work for me some I'm reposting here:

http://www.alternet.org/belief/155685/no_religion_7_types_of_non-believers_/ (I think it's the same one but he might want to double check)

Thank you very much.

What I find beautiful is that there is belief, but not 'belief in' something ....

I would not say that I'm an atheist, nor not an atheist. It doesn't matter.

And science is a very shaky foundation for anything. Science is a practice, not an end of 'truth'. We can 'prove' something scientifically, yet the science of tomorrow 'proves' in another way that which was contrarily proven before, to a more or even less correctness, and so goes what on can 'believe in' from the foundations of science.

There's no need to 'prove' the Force, nor God, nor Tao, nor Winnie-the-Pooh scientifically. Physics, Aristotelian to current quantum or relativistic, should serve to calm one's faith in science.

Feel, don't think. Cultivate, don't calculate ...

Not to say that we should do without science -- it is just another human endeavour. That's all...

Belief does not require a physical presents. Unicorns and Santa clause do exist as fantasy creatures. Does God exist? Does the Force exist? It is not in the physical presents that all things exist.

As for Atheism vs non-theism, thank you for the lesson.

The Jedi are all but religious. Jediism is a philosophy not a religion. Faith based belief is stupidity, Experience based Faith is Wisdom. The Jedi don't follow the path of folly, if you follow such path I am at peace with it, but you follow it at your own peril

Alego Soule: The Jedi are all but religious1. Jediism is a philosophy not a religion. Faith based belief is stupidity, Experience based Faith is Wisdom2. The Jedi don't follow the path of folly, if you follow such path I am at peace with it, but you follow it at your own peril3

I'm sorry, but you are mistaken. We had a topic on this a couple weeks ago, and we do have a significant number of Jedi who view Jediism as a religion. And there is no problem with it.

I find your post ironic, you are making disparaging remarks against people who hold faith-based belief, yet you are doing the exact same thing that makes many atheists find religion so harmful. You sound just like the many religious extremists I've encountered in my life. Making sweeping generalizations about entire groups of people1, preaching that things are black and white2, telling people if you don't do things the way I think is best you will suffer3.

I understand where you are coming from- faith-based belief can be dangerous. However, it can also be harmless, even beneficial, it just depends on the breed of belief. To think all faith-based belief leads to peril is itself, I think, dangerous. Because it can lead to an extreme mindset. It can give one the idea that all faith-based belief is harmful, and so must be destroyed. Like how extremist Muslims believe kufr and shirk must be eradicated. This is just the flip side of the coin.

I'm sorry if I mistook anything you wrote. If I did, then obviously if you could clarify your beliefs, I would greatly appreciate it.

TOTJO is a church and that thing we do (for lack of a better word) is called Jediism. Nonetheless, those who personally want to call it a spiritual path are welcome as members.

If anyone really wants to have some fun please state the generally accepted definition of religion.

As I see it, Jediism is a path that could lead to some misunderstanding, but in its own right is not incorrect.

I believe that the Universe has a Perspective. And, its perspective is "like" omnipotence. I am also a Secular Buddhist Jedi, so when I say omnipotence, I am referring to the cessation of suffering through a Universal Perspective.

Jediism is a perspective. And, each person who practices it provides their OWN perspective in accordance with it, or they change it, or they add to it.

No matter your belief, you will find happiness if you are in accordance with the Perspective of the Universe. Compassion. Love. Selflessness. These are things of the Universe. So, Jediism ITSELF is not against this. But, some of the people that practice it (who treat the Force as a Deity) or those who reject all things Jedi in favor of self-gratification for noble deeds (like Vassels or Knights did in the Middle Ages and in the Feudal Japanese era) are NOT in accordance with a Universal Perspective and mar the Jedi Name.