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Alright everyone...having minors in Theology, Psychology, and Philosophy...I have decided to open up this thread. This is an experiment of course...the experiment? To see if this guild can speak of religions and phylosophical views in a peaceful manner in order to not only learn about other views, but to grow more in your views. This is in no way a bash...I do not want to read this religion is wrong, and that religion is wrong, or you're stupid for thinking that.

Now...IF this thread gets out of hand, I will take Gregar's side and will ban any religious debates happening in this guild. I KNOW you guys don't want me to do that. So I'm putting my trust in you guys that you can be responsible about this thread.

Also, if you have any questions about certain sects or religions, I will more than likely have a fairly solid answer. XD

Yup, and both of them are on very thin lines. I'm not going to be giving a warning on this one...if it's good, then awesome...if it gets out of hand...well...its not going to be pretty.

Alright...so I wonder who's going to begin XD

Thank you Despair blaugh . Oooh...also no trying to convert anyone to make them see their ways >: 3


I get what you're saying, I do. I once was like that, where I didn't believe that there was some sort of higher power or deity. But i don't know, maybe its just me, but I felt scared. I mean, its a scary thought, thinking that when I die nothing was going to happen to me. You gotta understand, people need comfort in their lives. Fear is a huge part of a human being's life. People take comfort in believing that their is some higher power out there, protecting them. They take solace in the fact that if they live a good life their soul or spirit or whatever you wanna call it will continue living in some sort of afterlife. Like I said, to me is a scary thought.

But sometimes different religions don't exactly make it easy on us...I have to agree that there are some rules from different religions, even my own religion, that are a bit absurd XD

And now to take the middle ground. Ladies and Gentleman, you may know me as Ducky or as O Great Bearded One, but my real name is Jordan and I am a proud member of the Jedi Church. Prior to that I was an agnostic followed by atheist and before that a Protestant. Over time, I grew to despise God. I would ask for him to help me in some minor way but God never restored my hope and I became further depressed, nearly to the point of suicide. As everyone knows, those who practice a religion and those who don't view the world differently and even those of various religions don't view the world the same as others. When I became an Atheist, I grew to understand these various views. I would read and study about different Religions and Philosophies, going so far to interview people about their faiths. I was about 16 when I read the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, and while not the complete works of the late Bruce Lee, it is quite interesting indeed. Martial Arts is not just exercise, it is a way of life and as such philosophy has always been a part of it.

"No style as a style; the only limitation being no limitation" this quote struck me as something that fit me. I felt that I was an outcast and yet I recognized I wasn't. I felt like every religion was a noose around my neck just waiting to tighten and I realized it was because I disagreed heavily with some of their teachings that it felt like that. The point of the quote was a Martial Art belief that no one style is greater than another and that one should study what they can to find what works best for them, adapt them and then master those techniques that work with you. I asked myself, "Why can I not do the same with Religion, with Faith. Why must I follow so strict a path when the path is simple. After all as Bruce Lee himself said, 'Beauty can be found in simplicity'. I am after all a simple person, with simple desires." Through my study of various religions and faiths, I recognized inherent truths that were common within every Faith. I also realized that the world was a paradox. It was in a fixed state of flux. It flowed sort of like a river and the various streams that broke from that. I grew to feel that this force, while Omnipotent, did not have a form of higher intelligence, it simply was. It changed based on the actions of everyone in the world.

Now I had always been a fan of science and a huge fan of Star Wars, so when I read somewhere that there was a Jedi Church, I read up on it. It's a simple concept of being a good person, without the controversy whether the bible is literal and science incorrect or whether the bible was figurative and science explained why. The Flow, Known as the Force, is neither good nor bad it is neither dark or light, but it retains traits of both. It is a force of balance, not neutrality. It is the coexistence of all things on an instinctual level. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds everything together. It may or may not assist us when we need it, but it does not choose to do so, having no intelligence of it's own, it simply does. Those in tune with the force, can feel the sands of time, figuratively speaking. While not gaining the incredible powers shown in the Galaxy of Star Wars, One gains a better grasp of how their actions will affect another and affect things around them.

Are we talking about the Jedi Church, a recognized religion in both the UK and US containing approximately 700,000 members or are you asking about the organization in Star Wars?

The Jedi Church is a group of like minded individuals who believe that their is a higher existence, but this higher existence is not Intelligent. It's like the ocean, within it there is life, but it is not alive itself. The tide rises and it recedes. It can be turbulent in times of great change, and it can be calm in times prosperous peace. It does not govern our actions or judge us, for we do that to ourselves enough. We all go to the same place, it is simply how we view and believe things in life that affect us after death. Cobra, if he does well enough in life and earns the Mercy of God, may enter heaven upon death. However, if say you were a devout follower of the Norse Deities, you may enter the halls of Valhalla. the Jedi Church simply believes, that when you die, you become one with the Force. You may be reincarnated or you may not. In simple terms, The Force is the conglomeration of nearly every religion's belief in life after death. It is but a flow of energy, of life, and it simply exists for no other reason than it does. It is infinite Complexity explained by simple rules. The Force is Faith Incarnate.

For the record, God's Mercy is not earned. It is freely given to all who would believe...

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

...also, I would speak to the concept of 'Assurance' which tells me I AM going to Heaven, rather then your comment of 'may enter Heaven' ... but that's kind of a big/complicated discussion.

Sufficed to say however, no one can earn their way into heaven. That's not at all what the Bible teaches.

I disagree with some aspects of your statement...

Religion does not have a defined role of 'Attacking People'. Sure, many people USE religion as a means to attack people, but that doesn't make it one of religion's main roles. Religion, as you have touched on above, is created for many reasons... in many cases, to try to help explain things, or institute a code of beliefs or actions for a group of people.

Just speaking for Christianity, (as that is all I can really speak for), the Bible is in fact used to attack a lot of people... but it is being used incorrectly when used to 'ATTACK' anyone. People use it that way, yes... MANY Christians use the Bible and it's contents to spread their racism and hatred to others, under the guise of 'Doing God's Will'

...but that's all crap when it has anything to do with berating, belittling, or hurting anyone. Any group who does these sorts of things and calls themselves 'Christian'... have no idea what it means to be a Christian.

Do I believe that Homosexuality is wrong? Yes.

...but would I ever belittle, berate, or hurt someone for being gay? Absolutely not. I think a lot of people think that a Christian's job is to judge people... see if they believe in Jesus, and if they don't, condemn and convert them. That is not at all what we've been called to do though. We are not here to judge. We have one job, to preach the Gospel and spread the word of Christ... everything else is in God's hands.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don't get this and they don't like to wait for God's judgment, so they institute their own. Those people need a wake up call and need to look back at the Bible and really read what it preaches about "Hating the Sin, yet Loving the Sinner".