Star Wars Fans are endeavouring to build a system of belief that goes beyond the 17 billion dollar franchise. But does it amount to a new religion?
It seems that Islamic Preacher Rohidzir Rais’s fear of the fast-growing influence of Jediism- a religion carved out from the Star Wars franchise, was in fact not unfounded.
The Islamic Preacher was heavily ‘fired’ upon for his concerns on the spread of Jedaiism (A religion hailing from Star Wars movies)
What began as merely a joke at the expense of statisticians has now evolved into a full-blown belief among Star Wars fanatics all around the globe. In the UK’s 2001 Census, 390,127 people- or 0.7% of the population– described themselves as Jedi.
Jediism; a cult of sorts hailing from the cloak wearing, lightsaber brandishing rebels from the Star Wars franchise- is a tongue-in-cheek response to a question on religious belief asked for the first time in a census.
A Jedi was a Force-sensitive individual, most often a member of the Jedi Order, who studied, served, and used the mystical energies of the Force; usually, the light side of the Force. The weapon of a Jedi was the lightsaber, a blade made of pure energy. (Wikipedia)
Jediism was a post-modernist Star Wars joke by atheists; or so many assumed. But for some, the force was strong- quite literally.
What originally was an intellectual exercise by fans to add and fill the gaps in the movies has now morphed into an actual attempt to build a coherent religious code/ movement.
Beth Singler, a researcher from the Divinity Faculty of Cambridge University, estimates that there are roughly about 2,000 people in the UK alone who are ‘exceedingly genuine’ about being a Jedi. That’s roughly the same number as the members of the Church of Scientology.
How many confirmed Jedis are there?
- Australia – 65,000
- Canada – 9,000
- Czech Republic – 15,070
- England and Wales – 176,632
For these people, Jediism is not a joke but rather, an inspiration and a way of life. It’s somewhere between metaphor and literal truth.
2011 England and Wales census: 176,632 people answered “Jedi” to the question, “What is your religion?” (Sourced from BBC)
The phrase “Feel the force” has become a rather overused cliché. But behind it is a New Age mysticism similar to many of the “holistic” ideas that emerged in the 1960s and 70s following the release of the legendary franchise.
A Jedi posing for a photo with his lightsaber
The Jedis’ system of belief is a patchwork quilt of Taoism, Buddhism, Catholicism and Samurai, says Singler. Often the ideas offer a simple dualism of good and evil, light and dark. “Fear is the path to the dark side,” Yoda tells Anakin Skywalker. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you.”
Star Wars creator George Lucas never intended to start a “religion”, she says. “Most Jedi don’t see him as a guru in the same way that L Ron Hubbard is in Scientology.”
George Lucas never intended to start a religion or cult
Many Jedi have moved away from the fiction of the Star Wars storyline. The Temple of the Jedi Order in the US has three tenets – focus, knowledge and wisdom.
Jediism permits people to have more than one religion. Unlike many older faiths, there is no divine being. Many Jedis feel that the ancient religions are losing relevance. But because Jediism embraces technology and science it appeals to a new audience- the newer generation to be specific.
The official homepage of the Jedi ‘church’
The Church’s founder, Daniel Jones, has written scriptures that go beyond Star Wars, instead dealing with how a Jedi should live. The doctrine has occasionally proved controversial. In 2009 Jones was thrown out of a Tesco store for refusing to remove his Jedi hood. He said he felt humiliated. At that time the hood was required in public places.
Founder of the Church of Jedaiism, Daniel Jones
But Jedi doctrine has since changed so that children can no longer demand it’s their right to wear the hood at school. Education is too important to Jedi for that, Day-Childs says. However the hood can still be useful for young Jedis who are anxious in public, he says.
People who join must learn key tenets of the faith. The Church has a code made up of five statements, one of which reads: “There is no Passion there is Serenity – We can like things but we must not become materialistic and obsessed by them.”
There are no physical Jedi temples. So why join what is essentially a big online forum? George D Chryssides, author of The Study of Religion, compares it to the reason why people join different political parties. In the end it comes down to community.
For Mark Vernon, a former priest, psychotherapist and writer, the Jedi story has real power. “The reason it’s so powerful and universal is that we have to find ourselves. It’s by losing ourselves and identifying with something greater like the Jedi myth that we find a fuller life.”
Founder Daniel Jones has uploaded a video of him explaining his faith in Jedaiism to YouTube on the official Church Of Jedaiism channel.
Some devout Jedis have even uploaded how-to videos on how to use ‘the force’. However, make no mistake, these people are not making a joke or trying to get a laugh out of it. These videos can last up to 10 minutes and are detailed guides aimed at beginner Jedis to teach them how to ‘manipulate’ the force.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MCTNHLsi68
Rohidzir’s concern for young Muslims who he believes could be led astray by the influence of Jediism was castigated and heavily criticized by the public who dismissed his concerns as the unfounded fears of an old man.
Several online media portals, among many from the public, have bashed his concerns relentlessly.
The Islamic Preacher’s post on Facebook that sparked the controversy.
Might we expect Jedaiism in Malaysia any time soon? We’ll never know.
Nonetheless, it seems that the Islamic Preacher may just have had the last laugh.
What do you think about Jedaiism? Let us know!
The post Jediism: Thousands Join After Release of New Star Wars Movie appeared first on The Coverage Bureau.
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