Jediism

Jediism (pronounced /ˈdʒɛ.daɪ.ɪzəm/) is a religion based upon the teachings found in Star Wars.

Many Jedi choose to practice Jediism along with another religion, such as Christianity, or Magick; this movement is known as Jedi Realism. It is not an organized religion and followers of the path are from different countries with different backgrounds and cultures, leading to different opinions and views. The core values of a Jedi are dictated by the Jedi code and the 'belief' in the Force.

According to recent censuses over 500,000 people declared their religion as Jedi. However, most governments involved considered this to be a joke, and some Jedi believe it damaged their image and the community.

At least two Jedi churches exist, one in Beaumont Texas, USA and one in Holyhead, UK.

The Church of Jediism has its headquarter at the Holyhead Church of Jediism, which introduced the very first organized training structure complete with training books and courses. They have branches all over the world. The Church of Jediism has over 2,000 Training members and is growing every day.

Ministers of the Temple Of The Jedi Order incorporated in Texas are allowed to legally conduct weddings.

Jedi Philosophy
Jedi believe in the ways of 'The Force'. They listen to the Philosophic teachings found in Star Wars to interpret and use in every day life. Overall, the philosophy of Jediism is a blend of Taoism, Buddhism, Alan Watts' and Joseph Campbell's work. Most Jedi follow a code of conduct similar to the chivalry code, also known as "The" Jedi Code. However, as there is no set path in Jediism, and no "holy book", there are many codes, all more or less based on the Star Wars philosophy, codes and lessons.

The Force
The Force is what Jedi 'believe' everything comes from, what everything currently exists within, and what everything returns to. Many refer to it as an "energy field", and can be compared to qi or to the idea of Gaia. It is the energy behind the existence of everything known or not to man, and is also known as the answer to the 'theory of everything', a theory in philosophy and theoretical physics. The Force does not require prayer, worship, or other such actions as some other religions might (Joseph Campbell would refer to such acts as "metaphors").

Most Jedi choose to focus on the Force through one or more of the three widely accepted spiritual aspects: the personal Force, the living Force, and the unifying Force

Criticism
Because of the pop culture origins of Jediism and the use of the world wide web to organize, share and attract others to the Jedi community, Jedi organizations tend to attract very unusual individuals. The website "thejediismway.org" warns about the many "toxic" sites and individuals.

The Jedi community fails to keep, organize and share its own data. It seems plagued by drama, threats, causing major websites to shut down and contributors to leave the community.

Jediism is often reported on the internet and in news articles in a negative, made-up and un-important way. It is he bad press given by the census phenomenon and a BBC report that gave birth to the "Jediism" and "Jedi Realism" terms.

Two self-proclaimed Jedi wearing Star Wars robes and a third person disguised as a Wookie demanded that the UN change the "International Day of Tolerance" to "Interstellar Day of Tolerance".

Some people believe Jedi worship the script of Star Wars as a holy book. This has clearly originated from the bad publicity and lack of understanding which surrounds Jediism, giving it even more bad publicity.