According to the front page, yes, The Force is an underlying foundation of the universe. But what that means is not so simple when we consider modern awareness of what we know about the universe and about our own psychology. I would suggest continuing your IP progress and pay particular attention to the lesson with Alan Watts once you get there. You don't have to necessarily agree or disagree with him, but do at least try to understand as much as you can what he's getting at and why. It is all very relevant to this topic so I hope it gives you a better understanding of what is going on here with how we talk about the Force.