What’s the difference?

The hardest questions I think to answer - how is your Jedi ism differ from other faiths.
When one asks how is Jedi ism diffrent from every other faith - it’s the hardest thing to answer (in my opinion) because we - as a faith - are encouraged to choose ourselfs -our own - paths and the practices and be able to call it all our own.
So the question-
How is your Jedinism difrent from every other faith ?
Smiley face !

Simply because of code and creed.

Example, the Christian faith requires a saviour character. Without it, there is no salvation, and all worship is done in pursuit of favour of God, hoping to be worthy of forgiveness.

In Jediism there is no saviour, nor any mythos to blame shortcomings on. Simply, all shortcomings are a result of self, and as such we must hold ourselves accountable for it, forgive ourselves, and strive to be better next time. It is a infinite range of growth in pursuit of service to others.

This can go into each and every faith or walk of life. But, with all these walks of life, you get out of it what you put into it. You sit back and do nothing, you reap nothing, same as a lazy farmer. At the end, when the fields are bare and you are starving, you can curse and blame anyone you want to, but the onus lies solely on you for this failure.

As such, Jediism almost requires constant training, recognition of where one has to grow in, and training in those fields. Rinse, wash, repeat, over and over again for as long as we follow the Path or until death. This includes physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. This, imo, is the major difference between it and many faiths or walks of life. Its not easy, and any that claim it is easy are either pretending to do the work required or are some sort of demi-god. It is hard, and is supposed to be hard so that we do not falter when we are tested.And as such, few people truly live up to being a Jedi. It is why I highly respect those that are willing to admit this isn't for them and step down as much as I respect those that embody what it is to be a Jedi, because it isn't meant for everyone.

That’s a beautiful Jedi ism you have Ari! I am glad you represent it in my life - at times we butt heads but truth of the matter is no one can be you and I am better for knowing you and your Jedi ism. It add s that possibility to my own.
Jeddist can truly be a color all on their own.

I was about to launch into a story about how one of the funny things of being a Christian is you have to spend the first ten minutes of any discussion about it explaining how your version of Christianity works, and dispelling the audiences myths, but since most people have limited exposure to Jediism, it can be easier (once you get past the incredulity, and assumptions that you are either joking, or an idiot) to shape their understanding of the philosophy, and then Ari opened with

Example, the Christian faith requires a saviour character. Without it, there is no salvation, and all worship is done in pursuit of favour of God, hoping to be worthy of forgiveness.

Now I'm going to have to spend ten minutes explaining how my concept of Christianity is different, and how I was raised believing that Jesus was not a savior, but an example (he didn't die for our sins, he died because people are dicks), and as God is all things, you are God, and the "salvation" (for lack of a better term, and to keep the comparison relevant) is knowing and understanding your self and discovering and living a life of love for all things (since you are a demonstration of what god is, and everything else is as well....this is often much easier for TotJO Jediism students to understand than other Christians, thanks to whatever rambling we're supposed to listen to in the early stages of the IP)


ANYWAY, Ari's description of Jediism is the same as my description of Christianity.

The main difference is he wears robes and twirls a lightsabre, and I wear a trench coat and twirl a firestaff.

One of the king diffrence s in my own Jedi ism is the ability of choice. I can choose every day to claim any dirty any right any way or idea or multiplenideas if I choose to. The idea of actual syncretism allows for one person to say exactly that - what your definition is and be perfectly fine with it - because that’s yours - all yours . Claim it and name it ! True modern day Jediism can let others be their own type of Jedi without upsetting the existing choice the individual has made. Even deeper is the idea of being a better and more informative person for having known more than one definition and the ability to not - upset or give any ill -to the other due to the diffrence in - choice.

There is no such thing as two identical Jedi
Cookie cutter Jedi don’t exist ... lol.
I take it back - they may exist but I haven’t met them yet . So to know this is Kinna to say - yea - yoi see different - your supposed to .

I find that most religions are out to change people. To recruit. Convert.

The Jedi don't do that.

I find that most religions are out to change people. To recruit. Convert.

The Jedi don't do that.

Or we are just better at making you think it was your idea.

/tinfoil hat.


Not so many "faiths" that I know of have "conversion" as a key tenet.

I know there are some, and some see it as a civic act, but I'd be surprised if many actually had "and when we get 1000 likes we'll assume our final form" as a primary component of the articles of faith.

I'm always interested in new trivia though, so I'm keen to learn of those that do?

I always - Always invite door knockers in to My home to chat. Some leave happy some leave upset .

I do not see Jediism as a religion, and thus feel no need to state a difference between Jediism and world religions.

What is key in "my Jediism" is the following quote from the original Return of the Jedi script, left out in the theatrical version:

"To be a Jedi, Luke, you must confront and then go beyond the dark side of the Force, the side your father couldn't get past."
- Obi-wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker, Episode 6 ROTJ

Thus, regardless of religious background, religious or cultural identity, or specific rites and practices, I see "Jedi" as a call to become aware of our own darkness (i.e. Jungian shadow) and then move past it (as in "beyond dichotomy/dualism" - assimilate rather than fall into denial or corruption).

Once you learn to live like this (which is a daily practice rather than something you achieve once and get it over with), you pass it on to others. Helping others face their own darkness is a great service.

This "facing darkness" is what Luke does in the cave in Dagobah, and then moves beyond it when choosing to save his father when facing the Emperor.

Manu wrote: I do not see Jediism as a religion, and thus feel no need to state a difference between Jediism and world religions.

What is key in "my Jediism" is the following quote from the original Return of the Jedi script, left out in the theatrical version:

"To be a Jedi, Luke, you must confront and then go beyond the dark side of the Force, the side your father couldn't get past."
- Obi-wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker, Episode 6 ROTJ

Thus, regardless of religious background, religious or cultural identity, or specific rites and practices, I see "Jedi" as a call to become aware of our own darkness (i.e. Jungian shadow) and then move past it (as in "beyond dichotomy/dualism" - assimilate rather than fall into denial or corruption).

Once you learn to live like this (which is a daily practice rather than something you achieve once and get it over with), you pass it on to others. Helping others face their own darkness is a great service.

This "facing darkness" is what Luke does in the cave in Dagobah, and then moves beyond it when choosing to save his father when facing the Emperor.

I think that what something like Jediism can be (and for a number of people is) used for, is re-defining (or some even argue, returning the definition of) religion as being that which precisely involves what you've mentioned here, Manu.

Many people tend to separate the concepts of spirituality and psychology when actually, I believe they are essentially the same thing. The Psyche has to do with not just the mind, but the whole experience of being. It's just that psychology is a newer, less primitive understanding of what we once called spirituality. In the age of science though, we tend to shy away from the more abstract ideas that the interpretations of spirituality brings as they are more difficult to get any practical grip on, so it is limited to what we believe we can - the mind. But we still haven't tied down what consciousness truly is or what it means outside of that abstract realm. However it is that fact that ties spirituality and psychology together to refer to the same phenomenon in the end.

Considering this, then can bring into play the original intentions of religion: The practice of connecting with the spirit / psyche (or as you and Jung have mentioned, things like meeting our shadow, the REAL us). What we learn however, is that the most complete way we know of doing this is through the practice of communion (the connecting of each other), as we all act as mirrors to one another where the spark of that awareness is most easily triggered. And throughout the ages, this is what the many rituals of various religions have understood and executed on many levels.

Jediism as a religion means one is able to connect psychology/spiritually with one's self through the connection with others (by service to the world), by acknowledging the journey that we are all charged with from birth to death, and the source of it.