Seventy thousand people in Australia have claimed “Jedi” as their religion. Seriously! In the last Australian census, one out of every 300 people wrote-in “Jedi” as their religion of choice. In New Zealand, more people claim to be Jedi than Jew.
Are they serious?
Hard-core Star Wars fans have been trying to have Jedi declared an official religion around the English-speaking world for years now.
Are they joking?
The Anglican Digest reported in 2005 that the first school to teach Jedi was recently opened in Romania. Courses at the Star Wars Academy include the correct use of light sabers, and lessons on how to speak Wookiee.
Is this for real? You bet!
No doubt some of these people are joking. For some it’s just a game. But for some it’s very, very real. With Episode III—Revenge of the Sith coming out as I write, things will only intensify.
But please, don’t be surprised. “Jedi” is little more than New Age mysticism plus a few goofy costumes and props. New Age has gained millions of converts in the Western world over the past few decades. I assure you—this is no game. Where do most of these converts come from? Christian churches. Seventy to eighty percent of all people in cults today grew up in families that went to a church that claimed to be Christian.
George Lucas—Star Wars mastermind—is a prime example. He was baptized a Methodist and raised in a Protestant home. He later started studying Eastern religions such as Hinduism. It didn’t take him long to drop his Christianity like an overloaded backpack. Through his Star Wars films, Lucas has had a profound impact on two generations of the religiously confused.
Am I saying Lucas has used Star Wars to “preach” his religious views? Yes I am. No doubt, he’s trying to make a little money and have some fun, too, but at least one of his goals is “spiritual”. He once said in an interview with Bill Moyers: “I put the Force into the movie in order to try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people—more a belief in God than a belief in any particular religious system. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin to ask questions about the mystery.”
If you read the rest of that interview, it is clear Lucas himself doesn’t know what “the mystery” is. He doesn’t seem to know who or what God is. He doesn’t have any answers, only questions. And he wants you to ask questions. It’s okay to ask questions according to New Agers like Lucas. But it’s arrogant to say you’ve found the answers.
I feel what you’re thinking even before you read this: “Are you going to tell me I should not see Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith?” Yes and no. The last one was so predictable it bordered on just plain bad and the reviews I’ve read for Episode III are not very promising. Surely you can find something better to do with $8.50.
But really, the answer is no. I am not saying don’t go see the latest Star Wars. I really care very little about Star Wars and all the sequels and prequels. If your parents are okay with you wasting $8.50 on this movie and another $10 on popcorn and Dr. Pepper, I say go and have a good time. Enjoy the special effects and C-3PO one-liners.
My real point is this: Think. Whatever movie you go see. Whatever TV show you watch. Whatever song you listen to—think about it biblically. Keep in mind that every movie, TV show and song is preaching some kind of message. Ask yourself: What does this movie want me to believe? How does this TV show want me to feel about that issue? What is the message of that song?
Remember this great proverb:
“The gullible believe anything they’re told; the prudent sift and weigh every word.”
(Proverbs 14:15).
“Sift and weigh.” A sifter separates the good from the bad. A scale weighs the value of something. So to “sift and weigh” is to think biblically. It is to compare it to the Bible. It is to be the opposite of “gullible”.
So if you must see Episode III, sift it. You might find something good about it—honorable characters, heroism and justice. But be sure to identify the bad. Don’t let it just bounce around in your brain and change the way you think.
If you decide to see Revenge of the Sith, weigh it. Ask, was it worth $8.50? Was it worth 2 hours and 26 minutes of my time? Am I in any way better off because I saw this film?
Sift and weigh. If we don’t “sift and weigh,” we’re prime candidates for membership in the First Church of Jedi.
