Going out in public

JohnsonMD wrote:
Where there is doubt, faith.

Is this not part of The Creed? Are Jedi not bound to it? Are such things not a symbol of this faith?

Last I checked, it was not.

Are plastic toy light sabers also not "symbols" of the faith?

They are symbols of a science fiction writer that have been associated with a philosophy.

Faith and doubt have nothing to do with how you dress.

For warm weather I go with the following:
Roman sandals

quick-dry cargo pants which convert into shorts

T-Shirt

Unless of course your feel like we should advertise. My faith is a personal thing.

Andy Spalding wrote: Unless of course your feel like we should advertise. My faith is a personal thing.

I think it might be useful for us to self-identify. I like the idea of patches and/or iron-on logos. Then when you go out and you see someone with a totjo logo on their jacket you can say hi. Most people don't know the logo and would just be like "hey that's cool what is it?". However if you have a brown robe and a light saber they'll be like "Oh look a role-player jedi" and then you have to explain that you're not crazy and all that.

To make it a little more relateable, its like saying people who do not wear a cross every day are not christian. I don't see Christians having an identity problem if they don't emblazon themselves with "symbols".

My actions make me feel like a jedi. Not how i dress. My "faith" is expressed with the way I live my life, not by taking on a persona.

JohnsonMD wrote: I absolutely agree. "Required" is a strong word for sure, nor would I advocate that it should be such. My point though is that the reason for not wearing such attire seems to come from a realm of fear and ignorance, not from a faith in peace and knowledge.

Do you have robes? DO you wear them every day?

I am seeing the reason of hassle from non-jedi as valid as any other reason...

Yes...it is VERY unfortunate I agree. However, there are christian's in Syria this very day who are dying for their faith and system of beliefs. Are Jedi so less in their convictions that they care?

Yes...

As robes are not a part of our culture, in this world, they is not worth dying for...

Robes are NOT a part of our belief system, so this is kind of a moot point..lol...

Oh and for people who want to identify with the Empire they can put a patch on like this:

Well I guess I am imperial.

Jestor wrote: I am seeing the reason of hassle from non-jedi as valid as any other reason...

Robes for everyday wear are a personal preference, honestly. And people are going to look at you strangely no matter what you wear, if you dress the slightest outside the perceived cultural norm. That being said, whenever I own a cloak (they don't last long before they're given to others), I wear it when the mood suits me. They're more comfortable and arguably more stylish than coats, but they are also more of a bother.

The reason I don't wear my robes in the same fashion is that they are sanctified to a specific purpose--they are ritual wear, and I won't sully them with the dalliances of the mundane. If I want a robe to wear every day, I'll have to make a new one. I think that sort of distinction is more in line with the point of the discussion than the talk of self-identification and fashion.

Robes are NOT a part of our belief system, so this is kind of a moot point..lol...

They are often, however, associated with Jedi in the fiction, as well as calling to mind images of both Western and Eastern ascetics and priests. It's true that one of the reason monks are fond of the robes is that they are a show of humility, but very often we overlook the reason that priests wear robes, too. While the ascetic is showing voluntary poverty, more traditional clergy often wear robes because they are garments outside the purview of modern fashion. This marks them as exceptional garments, and their wear becomes something outside of the everyday life. I wrote an article on it , as it's one of my favorite topics in the realm of non-theological religious study.