First we should look at the creation of Jediism itself. While many will say it came about in May 1977 when Star Wars was first released in the theaters this is not completely correct. Sure some may have held to the belief in the Force, however Jediism itself and especially the word did not emerge until late 2000. The word Jediism is definitively possible, simply because ism denotes any set of doctrine, practices, or system. And it is shorter than saying the Jedi Path. Yet it is not very catchy and sounds a bit off simply due to the structure of the word Jedi. As such the word itself did not get major use until 2001 when a mass e-mail went out asking for people to put Jedi as their religion for the 2001 census in the United Kingdom.
The e-mail stated that if enough people listed Jedi as their Religion that would make it an official religion. And that is incorrect. While the British government certainly has a filing number for Jedi listed as Religion, it is not recognized as an actual religion. Many did in fact put Jedi as their religion, but there were just as many reasons as to why. Some wanted to protest organized religion, others just thought it was funny, others protest against government, and others still because they really did believe in a Jedi religion. The media took a hold of it and Jediism briefly got the spotlight. And not in a very favorable way. Jedi Sites like the Jedi Creed were mistaken for Jediism Sites. Because the difference between those that followed a Jedi Religion and those that followed the Jedi Ideals was not very distinct.
By the end of 2001 Jediism was forgotten by the media and Jediism could go back to wearing robes and saying prayers. And the rest of the Jedi Community went about trying to rebuild its reputation after the media spotlight. But the media started something, they opened the door to millions who had never heard of people actually trying to live as Jedi. It opened a new sub-culture, a new place to belong when you didn't fit in elsewhere. And Jediism grew and continues to grow with each new media release. After-all there is no such thing as bad press right?
But the question here, is any of this Jediism stuff valid? Obviously the census did not do the job in creating an actual religion, so is Jediism a recognized religion? While I would tell you know, by every definition I can think so. I feel the best way to solve this question is to simply talk about Jediism and allow the reader to decide for themselves. My own personal thoughts can be read on the article "Jedi vs. Jediism."
First, let us look at a few key facts; In 2001, around 500,000 people in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia recorded their religion as "Jedi" on their national census. Some people did this as they received a chain-mail E-mail stating Jedi would become an official religion if enough people wrote it on their census forms, when in fact, the UK for example does not "officially recognise" religions. The Jedi community had existed for some time before the census, but the results were interpreted exclusively as a joke by the governments of their respective countries. In 2005, a draft of the "racial and religious hatred bill" in the UK specifically excluded Jedi Knights from any protection, alongside Satanists, Scientologists, sexists, racists, and believers in animal or human sacrifice.
Still, how does Jediism define itself? The Temple of the Jedi Order states that "Jediism is an interfaith initiative and a syncretistic religion - a faith involving elements from two or more religions including Taoism, Shintoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Mysticism, and many other Religions' universal truths, a combination of martial arts and the Code of Chivalry. These philosophies are the heart of Jediism; not the wonderful Star Wars movies themselves except to serve as parables." At the same time the Church of Jediism states "we base our faith on the impartial and highly accessible stories George Lucas has brought to us in both film and book. We obtain this information and rather than creating strict rules to live by we take it as a guide to living a better and more worthwhile life."
It seems to be popular to justify Jediism with the existence of other religions. Because Jediism steals the teachings, outlooks, and uses quotes from Taoism, Christianity, and Buddhism, it must be a valid religion. Because Jediism uses the work of Joseph Campbell's work as another basis, as well as the ideals of Chivalry, again it must be a valid religion.
Unfortunately many will try to also use the definition of religion as a valid argument for Jediism. So lets take a quick look at that. First definition we are met with is "set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." This offers a fair look at religion, the problem is that we see that Jediism clearly allows for varied beliefs in this area, ranging from the Christian God to the precepts of Buddhisms. So the only real core thing they share is ritual observances, such as Jedi prayers. But even that they differ form Jediism site to Jediism site. So we can clearly see the beliefs are all over the scale.
But we are not done yet, next definition. "A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects." Well you do have a fundamental set of beliefs. Except with the many Jedi who simply use the Force as an extension of God. Jedi who are Christian, Wiccan, and Buddhist. This already automatically creates a separation in views and beliefs. While words may stay the same, such as the Force, the meaning to that word differs greatly.
Now here we go, "something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience." This fits pretty well with the ideals of Jediism. Living the life of a do-gooder, someone who helps others, defends peace and justice. Matters of ethics. And most all Jediism followers would agree to the Jedi Code or a version of it. So this helps us see that Jediism could in fact be a religion. However, while we are looking at definitions I want to add one more for consideration.
Cult: 1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
The problem with trying to sound more than what you are, a religious group Jediism qualifies itself for a whole new set of words. And one has to wonder which one they truly fit better. Is Jediism an official religion? Or is Jediism a cult which people have associated it with for a long time? In the end there is no major case for Jediism. They profess that because they learn from many sources and use texts from many different ideologies and religions that they must be a real religion. Yet what we truly see is a group of individuals not adhering to what they preach and instead demanding recognition as if they have accomplished something. We see rules such as always wearing your Jedi Hood up when in public. Jedi Oaths which pledge your loyalty. No Jediism has not reached religious status yet, merely cult status. At least, that is my opinion. I have been a part of the Jedi Community since 1999. I have seen good people leave and site crumble under the attention Jediism brought. Feel free to investigate, read, and chose for yourself.
Reference Links:
Temple of the Jedi Order - http://templeofthejediorder.org/
Church of Jediism - http://www.jedi-church.co.uk/
The Jediism Way - http://www.thejediismway.org/
Jediism Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jediism
- Opie Macleod