What would help the Temple Be A Better Place? Suggestions please...

Bradly wrote: ...but like I stated the will of the force can be from the movie or something completely different entirely.

The Force (and most of the Jedi "religion") in the movies is a bit of a Rorschach test: it is vague, incomplete, and people project their own mind onto the imagery and fill in the blanks with their own bias.

As I see not one person here who believes the Star Wars films to be fact, or divinely inspired, or George Lucas as a prophet of sorts, I must ask: what makes you think we are trying to fit into the movie concepts, rather than adopt those concepts to arrive at a firmer grasp of the "real thing"?

i apologize but yo must be mistaken I never once stated that the movie is fact or anything of the sort. I apologize if my wording made you think I was. but that is not the case.
the closest to my statement to what you could be meaning is as I said. some things from the movies could be profound as in some quotes but never did I say we are trying to be the movie. at all.

but I must attend different matters. I apologize if I came off rude, I was just giving an opinion and agreeing with both sides. thank you for listiening and taking time to convere with me. may the force be with you.

Bradly wrote: but I must attend different matters. I apologize if I came off rude, I was just giving an opinion and agreeing with both sides. thank you for listiening and taking time to convere with me. may the force be with you.

No need to apologize. At no time were you rude, and my questioning is aimed more at an attempt to understand your view more (which I believe I failed on this occasion). Have a great day, and see you soon.

Manu wrote: The Force (and most of the Jedi "religion") in the movies is a bit of a Rorschach test: it is vague, incomplete, and people project their own mind onto the imagery and fill in the blanks with their own bias.

How much of this could also be said to be true of religion and philosophy as well - including here.

"In other words: Let the geek die. Kill it if you have to."

No not at all! I said nothing about geeks and consider that statement nothing but a diversion from the point I was making.

To help illustrate my point try this little experiment. Tell people you know and don't know that you are a Jedi studying Jedism as a Religion for spiritual development and and to cultivate the living force in your life. Observe their reaction and statements. Many will snicker, think you're joking and a role player.

You will say they don't know what Jedism is all about and they are confusing it with the movie. Now we'e getting close to my point. What happens here to dispel or confirm their observation. The opinions of others may mean nothing or something. Listen to them and think about them before you so easily dismiss them.

That is a struggle we all will face. And must stay. True to the force. We do not recruit into our religion if they laugh they laugh but there will be someone that will think hey this might work.

Rickie wrote: No not at all! I said nothing about geeks and consider that statement nothing but a diversion from the point I was making.

I was not intending to divert from your point, simply playing it out. I did try to address it later in my post.

To help illustrate my point try this little experiment. Tell people you know and don't know that you are a Jedi studying Jedism as a Religion for spiritual development and and to cultivate the living force in your life. Observe their reaction and statements. Many will snicker, think you're joking and a role player.

You will say they don't know what Jedism is all about and they are confusing it with the movie. Now we'e getting close to my point. What happens here to dispel or confirm their observation. The opinions of others may mean nothing or something. Listen to them and think about them before you so easily dismiss them.

I am all for improving the quality of the explorations that go on here, if that is what you are gettting at. Personally, I feel the politics and arguments that pop up from time to time are a much better disuader for newcomers than the goofiness of StarWars fandom.

"I feel the politics and arguments that pop up from time to time are a much better disuader for newcomers"

Agreed!! Those are moderator's challenges. I feel they are too tolerant with the intention of hopefully helping and guiding the offenders. They are guilty of kindheartedness.

Rickie wrote: "I feel the politics and arguments that pop up from time to time are a much better disuader for newcomers"

Agreed!! Those are moderator's challenges. I feel they are too tolerant with the intention of hopefully helping and guiding the offenders. They are guilty of kindheartedness.

I can assure you that it isn't "kindheartedness" that is keeping us from dealing with "offenders". It is an effort to remain objective and realize that one who you call an "offender" may not be offensive to others. We are human beings first, Jedi second. We are not perfect. Humans argue about politics and get emotional. Sometimes these conversations go off the rails and become personal. This is when I will step in and ask people to follow the rules or suffer the consequences. Prior to anyone breaking the rules of the forum, I won't step in and subjectively discipline someone just because another got their feelings hurt. That is part of learning and growing. We face the challenge or we learn to avoid it, but it is a part of life we all have to deal with. It is also a huge part of training to be a Jedi, and I think newcomers benefit from seeing how we act and react to these situations.

For those more Doctrine oriented, these are the two Maxims I lean on most as a Security Officer:

Discretion: To become invisible.
A Jedi knows there is a time and place for all things. They do not actively interfere in worldly affairs and refrain from overtly supporting or opposing other individuals or organizations.

Intervention: To know when not to act.
A Jedi knows how inaction can have as great an impact as action and how some of the greatest lessons are self-taught. To be a victor is also taking that victory from those you protect. A Jedi intervenes only when a Jedi's intervention is required.