An interesting--and disturbing--revelation

[valarltd]

So, last night was realm class.
We're talking about Deity and the ways of approaching it.

Most of the class is polytheistic animists. We have a Poly elementalist. And me, the nontheistic pantheist.

I blame George Lucas.

I believe there is a higher power, a life energy created by the universe. I believe gods and goddesses are metaphors and focusing devices humans create to access aspects of that energy.

When I talk about Freyja, on one hand yes, I mean the blonde in the feather cloak in a chariot drawn by cats. But what I really am talking about is strength and bravery and love and desire.

It's an interesting thing to learn that after 30 years of "Force schmorce, I got me a wookiee," I really am a Jedi after all...


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Comments

[reannon.livejournal.com]

See, I would absolutely adore that LOLcat if it were properly spelled. :)

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Is spelled in LOL, so it must be read in that dialect. (Yes, I have a lolcat accent)

[ravenskye8.livejournal.com]

So - why is this disturbing to you?

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Because I never wanted to be a Jedi.
Because I deeply distrust the whole organization and their actions.
And because it's distressing to realize your faith is based on fiction (this and Julian May's version of faith in the Meta'verse)

Mostly because I am still trying to grow up to be Han Solo. Hokey religions and ancient weapons...

[ravenskye8.livejournal.com]

You do realize that the whole Jedi/The Force thing is culled from actual belief systems... Your faith is certainly not based on fiction...

And Han Solo is at least a little bit Jedi himself... ;)

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

*snerk*
That last depends on which fanzines you read...
There was a popular trend in 80-82 to write Han as the mysterious "Other."

Some stories even still do.

[ravenskye8.livejournal.com]

I'm taking straight from the movies... in one of the new prequels a Jedi says that only Jedi have the ability to make a lightsaber work...

But on Hoth, Han uses Luke's lightsaber...

[hopefuldark.livejournal.com]

I have always found the fact that even when I'm "working" in my chosen profession - I tend to quote yoda more than Christ.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Buddha wasn't a Christian, but Jesus would have made a good Buddhist.

[kc-risenphoenix.livejournal.com]

I believe there is a higher power, a life energy created by the universe. I believe gods and goddesses are metaphors and focusing devices humans create to access aspects of that energy.

Hear! Hear!

I SOOOOOO get that!

And that God so wants communication with Its creation that It can be whatever we need It to be to allow that communication. It is THAT big.

[jlm121.livejournal.com]

I had an odd reaction to this. Posted then deleted a comment and spent sometime thinking about it. You and I share in part a religious education that was pretty much Big Sky God can do no wrong, which in part was a reinforcement of our father's parenting techniques. I think we both have a serious issues with relgious institutions and patriarchy. The Jedi and the Sith are the institutional representations of "The Force" both manipulate it and do things in it's name that serve their own interest.

I always try to think about what Joseph Campbell thought about Star Wars. That is was merely a new way of telling an old story. It took archetypes and religious experience and put it in a setting that was new. I don't think it's so much faith based on fiction as it is faith based on a new mythos.

My two cents, but I am probably overthinking this.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Between Lucas and Julian May...
I've always loved mythology. And I always knew SW was.

I loved May's idea that God is a Matrix of Reality, and when we pray, we coerce God, which in turn coerces ourselves. That ritual and prayer are not for the Deity, but for the believer.

And yeah, I got patriarchy coming at me from all sides as a kid and grew up fighting it. My maternal grandmother told me when I was about 9-10, "When you get married, make sure your husband makes more than you do." (the fact that he does is a function of him being on the same job for 12 years and me only having a year and a half)

[ravenskye8.livejournal.com]

That ritual and prayer are not for the Deity, but for the believer.

Hey - you're Jewish! :)

*teasing*
*big silly grin*

Had to throw this one in

[jlm121.livejournal.com]

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[(Anonymous)]

Try this for a hokey religion.

Scary thing is, once you read the doctrine(s)... It makes about as much sense as pretty much -any- other out there.

http://www.venganza.org/

Like any religion, they are always looking for new converts.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm familiar with FSM and Mouse-and-Discoballtarianism both.

The only religion I look for converts to is Chocolatarianism, but since most folks already are, they just agree to live their lives by the tenets of the faith:
Chocolate is good.
Enjoy often.
Share chocolate when you can.

Everyone has to walk their own path and saying mine is the only way to approach reality is silly. Mine works for me.