Tuesday 2 November 2010

Jediism


"The Jedi Church believes that there is one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together. The Jedi religion is something innate inside everyone of us, the Jedi Church believes that our sense of morality is innate. So quiet your mind and listen to the force within you!"

Jedi are known to most as fictional characters from George Lucas' 'Star Wars' film saga however the title transcends these films and has become a religion, which although the church claim to have existed before the films has come about because of them.

The religion teaches the beliefs that the Jedi in 'Star Wars' follow. However not all those who follow the beliefs view it as a religious movement, some merely see it as a way of life.

Jediism is often portrayed in a negative way by the media, as many people do not view it as being a reputable religion due to being based on a fictitious film series. Yet in the last Census in the U.S, Jedi received more recognition then some common Christian denominations.

In 2008, two members of the Church of Jediism were attacked outside their home by a drunken man, who beat them with a metal crutch, resulting in one of the Jedi to have several stitches. This shows us how minority groups can be wrongly treated and discriminated against because they defy the dominant ideologies and go against the norm.

On September 5, 2008 the first wedding ceremony by an ordained Jediism Minister was conducted in the State of Utah. This was very controversial as many people tried to protest against the wedding ceremony taking place due to a feeling that it is not a 'real religion'.

We see through this example how minority groups, or groups perhaps known as others are strongly discriminated against because they do not fit the dominant ideology.

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