Jediism
Encyclopedia
Jediism is a religious movement based on the philosophical and spiritual ideas of the Jedi
as depicted in Star Wars
media.
and that interaction with the Force is possible. Believers align themselves with the moral code demonstrated by the fictional Jedi. One Jedi church described the religion as syncretistic
, incorporating beliefs from various religions including Christianity
, Buddhism
, Taoism
and Shinto
ism.
A common belief among Jedi is Jedi Code, sometimes referred to as the Orthodox Jedi Code. This is used as a guiding principle.
The code reads
Sometimes a fifth line is added, making the code read
has cited history as his inspiration for creating the Force
, saying in a Wired interview:
He also stated during a 1999 interview with journalist Bill Moyers
that while he hesitated to call the Force "God," that his aim was in fact to evoke a spiritual awakening in young people.
, an amendment was proposed that excluded Jedi Knights from any protection. Jediism was excluded from a 2010 UK Act protecting organizations such as the Church of Scientology
from discrimination.
In 2009, a Jedi was banned from a Tesco
Supermarket in Bangor
, North Wales, for refusing to remove his hood on a religious basis. The following year, a Jedi was thrown out of a Jobcentre
in Southend, Essex
, for refusing to remove his hood; he later received an apology.
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
as depicted in Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
media.
Belief
Practitioners identify themselves with the Jedi Knights in Star Wars, believe in the existence of the ForceForce (Star Wars)
The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the fictional universe of the Star Wars galaxy created by George Lucas. Mentioned in the first film in the series, it is integral to all subsequent incarnations of Star Wars, including the expanded universe of comic books, novels, and...
and that interaction with the Force is possible. Believers align themselves with the moral code demonstrated by the fictional Jedi. One Jedi church described the religion as syncretistic
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
, incorporating beliefs from various religions including Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
and Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
ism.
A common belief among Jedi is Jedi Code, sometimes referred to as the Orthodox Jedi Code. This is used as a guiding principle.
The code reads
- There is no emotion, there is peace.
- There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
- There is no passion, there is serenity.
- There is no death, there is the Force.
Sometimes a fifth line is added, making the code read
- There is no emotion, there is peace.
- There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
- There is no passion, there is serenity.
- There is no chaos, there is harmony.
- There is no death, there is the Force.
Origin of Beliefs
George LucasGeorge Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
has cited history as his inspiration for creating the Force
Force (Star Wars)
The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the fictional universe of the Star Wars galaxy created by George Lucas. Mentioned in the first film in the series, it is integral to all subsequent incarnations of Star Wars, including the expanded universe of comic books, novels, and...
, saying in a Wired interview:
He also stated during a 1999 interview with journalist Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965 to 1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers has had an extensive involvement with public...
that while he hesitated to call the Force "God," that his aim was in fact to evoke a spiritual awakening in young people.
Reaction
During the drafting of the UK Racial and Religious Hatred ActRacial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which creates an offence in England and Wales of inciting hatred against a person on the grounds of their religion...
, an amendment was proposed that excluded Jedi Knights from any protection. Jediism was excluded from a 2010 UK Act protecting organizations such as the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
from discrimination.
In 2009, a Jedi was banned from a Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Supermarket in Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, North Wales, for refusing to remove his hood on a religious basis. The following year, a Jedi was thrown out of a Jobcentre
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus was a government agency for working-age people in Great Britain. The agency was formed when the Employment Service, which operated Jobcentres, merged with the Benefits Agency, which ran social security offices, and was re-named Jobcentre Plus on 1 April 2002...
in Southend, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, for refusing to remove his hood; he later received an apology.
See also
- Jedi census phenomenonJedi census phenomenonThe Jedi census phenomenon is a grassroots movement that was initiated in 2001 for residents of a number of English-speaking countries, urging them to record their religion as "Jedi" or "Jedi Knight" on the national census.It is believed the majority of self-reported Jedi claimed the religion for...
- New religious movementNew religious movementA new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
- Philosophy and religion in Star WarsPhilosophy and religion in Star WarsGeorge Lucas' creation of the Star Wars saga was influenced by mythology, philosophy, and religion and the popularity of the film series inevitably led to even more comparisons being made.-Star Wars :...