Few questions

Hey,

I'm new to this side and have only recently heard of Jediism. I'm currently a University student studying politics, sociology and English. It would be a great help of someone could help me with two questions:

Do the doctrines of Jediism stand in conflict with pacifism? The Jedi of the Star Wars movies tend to be a bit too violent for my taste.

And this might be a strange question, as I've not even filled out an application, but: Is there a way to leave the church? I've seen nothing about this in the FAQs and I like to get as much information as I can before I commit to anything.

Cheerio,

Parveth

Welcome around.

I'm new as a member here, but I've studied several things, and I'm happy to be here, so I'll say what I realize of things.

The Jedis are warriors of peace. They'll fight to defend freedom, but will try to solve everything peacefully, at first.

On the other hand, the movies are polarizing, since they almost always put the Jedi against Siths.


And about leaving, you take an oath when you are Knighted, and an oath when you become a Deacon, iirc, and, iirc, they are for life. But until you are knighted, you don't have this compromise. And even for those who are, I believe they can get to the Council and ask for leave.

Thanks a lot for the answer. So - correct me if I got this wrong- it's basically pacifism as far as possible?

Parveth wrote: Thanks a lot for the answer. So - correct me if I got this wrong- it's basically pacifism as far as possible?

I think you could say that. But obviously, I'm talking about the fictional Jedi.

Talking about the Jediist themselves, our Creed starts with "I'm a Jedi, an instrument of Peace". Now, I'd say you should take a look at the Doctrine, and at least start the Initiate Program. You have no life commitment in doing that, and you can hold until you finish it to even do the Simple Oath.

Study our faith, our doctrine, and then you decide if this is for you.

Thanks for the tips. I'll do that!

If I may weigh in as well...

With regard to violence, no one here would endorse pointless, on provoked violence. Many members, especially those who serve in the armed forces, would advocate self-defense. While relatively few of us would identify as pacifists, that choice would be respected, assuming it is a sincere conviction. Nothing about the doctrine prohibits it, certainly.

The movies portray violence of a very casual nature, but they are fiction and not meant to be emulated literally.

With regard to leaving, a member of any rank at all is allowed to take leaves of absence or leave entirely at any time, at will. You will not be bothered or harassed by the Temple in any way. While those commitments made at Knighthood and ordination are meant to be life-long, the individual can sever them at will. Most people announce that they are leaving. Others simply log off and leave it at that. It is generally a sadness when people leave, but the right is entirely their own.

I tend to view the actions of the Jedi in the fiction in that way of last resort, minimization, deescalation etc. Noting it seemingly does not count towards droids, they get disassembled like its sport
:huh:
I'd even argue the whole point of their lightsaber use is specific to precision, and that is what enables them to apply proportionality. Their ideology though will have to determine their distinction in the overall application of force, but I think they try to avoid lethal force to living creatures at nearly the full extent where applicable. You've given me a reason to go watch the movies again though. If you watch some of the saber duel's there are openings for strikes which are not taken, but now I'm wondering just how much the difference the Jedi in the movies applied force to living or droid opponents.

So besides their use in conflict resolution and diplomacy, I think they were dragged into the war fighting by the Palpatine chap deliberately to create that very illusion of them being hypocrites. As such, I do take pacifism as integral to my own Jedi path - but contrary to the image of a pacifist I think warfighting represents some valuable parts of human history and they have a unique vantage to drive advancements in technology and human performance.... but then again, so does professional sport (not the droid chopping kind, although..........).

Think of it this way... the movies are snapshots of time. And, in these snapshots, we witness the most drastic moments in the galaxy. At these times, there is bound to be a clash of ideals, which often leads to a clash of swords. The violence is indeed casual. But, it's only because we are witnessing the moments of the highest desperation. That's what makes good sci-fi and fantasy.

It is doubtful that I will ever experience anything like the Jedi have to in the movies. If it came down to it, I would pick up my sword. I pray that I never have to.