Atheist Jedi

People want to live forever.

At least there consciousness.

Many use the "Energy cannot be detroyed, only change form" approach.

Energy and consciousness, sentience, are not the same thing.

However many, if not all religions play to the ego.

"You will live forever"

Be it heaven, a Force ghost, etc.

People have hard time , and build walls to protect themselves from the fact that they will one day cease to be as there current consciousness.

Nothing I have seen about death, and I have seen alot, gives validity to that thought process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUP9AOqoMFg

@ Jestor…

If I am understanding you correctly, yes. I feel that it is the “feeling” of reconnection being sought for comforts sake. Not that there is an actual disconnect on with a physical manifestation.

I don’t know though, it could be a spiritual disconnect as well? What I mean is not that our spirits disconnect from everything else, but because of a mental block our spirits become out of accord with. Or in a way, disconnected from. This is all speculation on my part!!! I have never felt as if I were not a part of the whole. My understanding of it and my place in it has changed over the years, but I have always been aware of it and that I am a part of it. So like O said, I am merely speculating what others may be facing. In an attempt to better understand it.

Khaos wrote: People want to live forever.

At least there consciousness.

Many use the "Energy cannot be detroyed, only change form" approach.

Energy and consciousness, sentience, are not the same thing.

However many, if not all religions play to the ego.

"You will live forever"

Be it heaven, a Force ghost, etc.

People have hard time , and build walls to protect themselves from the fact that they will one day cease to be as there current consciousness.

Nothing I have seen about death, and I have seen alot, gives validity to that thought process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUP9AOqoMFg

He says "Ernest Becker says that the only solution is to come up with illusions."

No...

The only solution is "acceptance"...

Somebody might have already said this, so forgive me, I didn't feel like reading the whole thread.

I haven't considered myself a Jedi for a while, but I think I can at least give an informed view on this. I think all sides involved in this discussion need to remember that there is a difference between atheist and non-theist. Because Buddhism does not have a god, does that make Buddhists atheists (I'm not referring to atheists who accept Buddhist philosophy)?

The distinction is important to make. To me, true atheism equals total materialism. No spirits, nothing supernatural, no afterlife, nothing immaterial. To me, I've always thought that an atheist could not be a Jediist because Jediism is founded upon a belief in the Force, as a supernatural and immaterial entity, and because Jediism often styles itself as a religion, or at least religious in nature.

That's not to say that atheists couldn't live by Jediist philosopy, whatever the hell that involves, no differently than they could live by Buddhist or Christian philosophy.

Star Forge wrote: Somebody might have already said this, so forgive me, I didn't feel like reading the whole thread.

I haven't considered myself a Jedi for a while, but I think I can at least give an informed view on this. I think all sides involved in this discussion need to remember that there is a difference between atheist and non-theist. Because Buddhism does not have a god, does that make Buddhists atheists (I'm not referring to atheists who accept Buddhist philosophy)?

The distinction is important to make. To me, true atheism equals total materialism. No spirits, nothing supernatural, no afterlife, nothing immaterial. To me, I've always thought that an atheist could not be a Jediist because Jediism is founded upon a belief in the Force, as a supernatural and immaterial entity, and because Jediism often styles itself as a religion, or at least religious in nature.

That's not to say that atheists couldn't live by Jediist philosopy, whatever the hell that involves, no differently than they could live by Buddhist or Christian philosophy.

I could not find a definition that clearly supported your statement, but I do like the idea of it. So I continue looking and found this…

What is Non Theistic Religion
By Edward L. Ericson

The Humanist Way—An Introduction to Ethical Humanist Religion ©

Chapter One:

Since a nontheistic conception of religion is basic to Naturalistic Humanism, it may be helpful to be as specific as possible in our usage of that term. At the outset, it is essential to understand that “nontheistic” is not used as synonym or euphemism for “atheistic.” The atheist, like the theist, takes a definite position with respect to the doctrine that God exists. The atheist denies or disbelieves it. The theist affirms it. But while the individual member of the Ethical Humanist movement may be an atheist, agnostic, theist, deist, or believe whatever else the individual regards to be probable or true about the God question, the ethical philosophy takes no official position with respect to such belief.

As nontheistic religion is defined, the prefix “non” should be understood to mean simply that the theistic reference does not apply. Ours is a religion or belief of a totally different type in which the God question is not of primary concern. As we have emphasized before, Ethical Humanism’s starting point is ethics, not speculative theology.

Ethical Humanism is commitment to a way of life, to a creative relationship to others and thereby to ourselves, in which metaphysical and theological arguments are set aside. Whether or not God exists may be an interesting question. But the answer to that question–if answerable at all–should make no crucial difference in how we ought to live, how we ought to treat our fellow beings. My ethical obligations and potentialities–and yours–remain exactly the same, whether God exists or does not exist. Our shared task is to live decently, compassionately, and caringly in the world we inhabit.

Albert Einstein said it best on behalf of all Ethical Humanists when he commended the New York Society for Ethical Culture on the occasion of its seventy-fifth anniversary year. He noted that the idea of Ethical Culture embodied his personal conception of what is most valuable and enduring in religious idealism. Humanity requires such a belief to survive, Einstein argued. “Without ‘ethical culture’ there is no salvation for humanity,” the great physicist and Humanist observed.
That thought, we are convinced, is the greatest idea in the world.

Edward L. Ericson

The Humanist Way—An Introduction to Ethical Humanist Religion ©

http://ethicalsocietywestchester.org/philosophy-of-ethical-culture/what-is-non-theistic-religion/

To associate the non-theist with the belief in a “supernatural” and the immaterial without the attachment of the humanized personal relationship with a deity could be a very accurate description of certain ideas.

On a side note, that is also how I viewed Atheism before the conversation we’ve had in this thread. But now I wonder if some Atheist are really non-theist? Just thinking out loud.

Star Forge wrote: I think all sides involved in this discussion need to remember that there is a difference between atheist and non-theist. Because Buddhism does not have a god, does that make Buddhists atheists (I'm not referring to atheists who accept Buddhist philosophy)?

The distinction is important to make. To me, true atheism equals total materialism. No spirits, nothing supernatural, no afterlife, nothing immaterial. To me, I've always thought that an atheist could not be a Jediist because Jediism is founded upon a belief in the Force, as a supernatural and immaterial entity, and because Jediism often styles itself as a religion, or at least religious in nature.

That's not to say that atheists couldn't live by Jediist philosopy, whatever the hell that involves, no differently than they could live by Buddhist or Christian philosophy.

Per Google:

Google wrote: atheism: disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

You didn't define "non-theist", but the gGoogle definition would seem to fit as well....

And, as jedi beliefs vary, of course there can be Atheist Jedi....

Do yourself a favor, read the threaf, then comment...

I took time out of my busy life for you, perhaps if you read my comments, your opinion, like hat of Wescli's, would change...

Not agree with me, but at least understand where I'm coming from....

But, I guess I could just reiterate....

"I do not believe the Force is an entity"...

That help? :lol:...

(Nice to see you!)

I do not believe in a God, and am therefore an Atheist.

I believe in the Jedi teachings, and am therefore a Jedi.

I believe in the power and value of humanity, and am therefore a humanist.

I believe in the balance of the Dao and teachings of Lao Tzu, and am therefore a Taoist.

I believe in meditation and the teachings of Buddha, and am therefore a Buddhist.

Labels are merely that. Labels. Often times the underlying nature of the individual is not to conform to a particular label, and only that label; but rather to have forged their own identity.

Pureland was another name for "Jediism" at totjo. So all the classic Jediism stuff applies, and none of this includes deities. While it technically could, force=god has always been either with a pantheist definition (which is no god at all), or a christian Jedi thing, which doesn't fall into Jediism but Jedi Realism instead (and as such into totjo's former "abrahamic rite") Totjo has never been proper 100% Jediist, but more like Jedi realism (and jediism) as an organized religion. jediism isn't necessarily organized, and I've always preferred it disorganized with just core teachings.

note that "jedi realism" has nothing to do with realism.

Also Buddhists usually count as atheist, since atheist doesn't mean irreligious, however it should be noted that native "followers" will also likely be part of a local "folk" religion, which may involve local traditional beliefs in deities.
and atheism and non-theism mean exactly the same thing, however non-theism is more christian-friendly, it's the same story as "agnostic" really.