Changes to the Simple Oath

These changes are due to come into effect on 1st January 2015.

It has been alluded to some in recent weeks that we [Council] have been in the process of changing when someone takes the Simple Oath. Currently one takes the Simple Oath to become an official member of the Temple - a Temple Member. Our changes will move the taking of the Simple Oath to when one finishes the Initiate Programme and becomes an Initiate.

Currently one must take the Oath with "with sufficient deliberation and due discernment", but an argument can be made that when one first joins the Temple they do not have sufficient knowledge of either the Temple nor possibly Jediism itself so cannot understand the full implications of taking the Oath.

By moving the taking of the Simple Oath to the end of the Initiate Programme we can be sure that by then Jedi will be familiar enough with both the Temple and the Jedi Path as it is taught here to be able to make an informed decision.

This means that to become an official member of our Temple one only needs to fill in a membership application.

For Knights, you will be asked to check whether or not an Initiate has taken the Simple Oath when you check journals. Changes in the description of the IP will probably be made telling Initiates to post their oaths in their journals. This may mean that the current Oath forum becomes redundant, but seeing as how I literally just thought of that 10 seconds ago we'll have to see how things go before anything is done .

As mentioned at the top this goes into effect at the beginning of the new year. Between now and then the current system will still be in place, but also this gives us time to get some input from the rest of the Temple so between now and then. This is us [Council] fulfilling our promise to you that we will consult the rest of the membership before making any substantial changes.

This change will not in any way invalidate the Oaths already taken by members who are not yet Initiates. But upon reaching the rank of Initiate you might feel it useful, as part of your own Hero's Journey, to mark the occasion with a reaffirmation of your faith by taking the Oath again.

For those interested here is how it looks in "official language":


May the Force be with you all, Always!

I think this is a great idea

As do I!

Yeah me too

This is moving us in the right direction I believe, thanks to the Council for asking for feedback and involving the membership here before making any substantial changes to the system in place...

Bumping this in case some people missed it.

Yeah, I didn't want to take the simple oath because it seemed like it lacked any real meaning the way it's taken. I love the idea of needing a substantial journal showing your thoughts and self-reflection before taking something that we should deem to be a serious step. It reminds me of Christianity's "confirmation" ritual, essentially saying that you're versed well enough in practice that you are willing to make the commitment to live by it at all times.

.... So, now people who don't even promise to study the ways of jediism can be members?

ren wrote: .... So, now people who don't even promise to study the ways of jediism can be members?

In much the same way that you don't have to have a membership card to walk into a Catholic Mass, yes.

ren wrote: .... So, now people who don't even promise to study the ways of jediism can be members?

Surely it's better than having hundreds of pages of oaths that weren't upheld by 99% of the people that made them?