I equate Jediism to Japanese Zen Buddhism - Buddhism - all schools - believe in Dharma/Dhamma - an force rather than a personal deity - Mahayana Buddhism - of which Zen is a sect - tends to being inclusive, open and egalitarian rather than the Abrahamic faiths that tend to be exclusive, closed and rigid.

Perhaps more philosophy than religion?

It's just as real as any other religion, and I'll take Jedi over Jesus any day.

It's good that you're thinking about these things.
It's very disappointing that George Lucas never really tried to expand or define the Jedi more than as a plot device.
Philosophically speaking, the Jedi seem to resemble the Taoists more than Buddhist. I would place them in the same family as the Bushido, the philosophy of the Samurai.

As a joke when asked which religion I believe in after I tell them that I don't believe in god.

Edit: I chose Jedi as my religion 2 censuses ago. I chose "no religion" in the last one so that atheists could e counted accurately.

I am sorry, I have a hard time of thinking of it being anything other than full of shit.

You are way more advanced that other religions, with their so-called invisible man. The teachings of the force mirror in many ways the Buddhist and Hindu philosophies... do no harm, and when all this is over, the ONLY thing that will have mattered, is how we treated each other. Upon our short term visit here in corporeal form, a melding back into the "flow of the universe"... Most religions today pray to an invisible god and destroy a visible nature, never realizing that the visible nature they are destroying IS the invisible god they are praying to...carry on.

It should be considered a made up fantasy version of admitting that religion is made up. Fantasy could very well be true (so agnostic), but why are you claiming a religion to get away from a religion? You would be considered theists for using a movie or set of movies as your god. you would not be considered Atheist because you are still conforming to a set of spiritual beliefs fed to you by a movie, which are probably christian if you were to dig deep enough or if not christian then they are probably derived from other religious texts. Jediism is more of a fan club, but I guess all religion could be considered fan clubs, but if that is your thing you are probably not an atheist, but you could be agnostic, christian, muslim, jewish, or spiritual and also be into jediism like everyone else.

Coincidentally, (and a little off topic) Mark Hamill is getting his own star on the Hollywood's Walk of Fame .

William Shatner tweeted him 2/22/18:
"Congratulations! BTW ask for a star on the south side of the street. I'm on the north side and don't want to devalue the neighborhood."

To which Hamill tweeted back:

"Thanks, Bill, It wouldn't be as special without a classic Shatner-burn from you! Live Long, But Get Lost- , mh."

Love it: "Live Long, But Get Lost"

I, am an Internet ordained Jedi myself man haha (seriously)

I agree with you about the "Force" being the most logical form of an "all encompassing Deity."

Whether it's "Good" or "Bad" or a duality, doesn't matter; what matters is that it, to me, IS the Universe itself.. and WE are IT also.

The path, or, Way, one chooses, is how we tune into whichever internal spiritual frequency to be a part of.

Digging over the last 20+ years, I've discovered that the "Tao" predates even Buddhism, and in many ways, IS the code of the Jedi.

I read and collect any translation I can get a hold of, and compare them side by side, to uncover the general feel for what Lao Tzu was trying to convey...

I recommend it (the Tao) to anyone who finds the path to the Jedi the most applicable in a religious sense. I feel 100% positive that George Lucas modeled is character for the Jedi after it.
The Tao.
The Way.

I love this website.
Take care.
May the Force be with you.

"May the Fourth" is your national annual holiday. Get it?

Made up shit of less value than most religions, as even the "believers" know that it's made up shit from a make believe film.

Slightly more honest though and more of a philosophy than a religion.

Well, I characterize myself as a "Gray Jedi" (some Jedi / some Sith) ... But still seeking truth. I see a lot of Taoism and Zen reflected (as well as Naturalism) embodied within Jedi/Sith culture/tradition. I must admit your topic gave me a chuckle at first, but then really got me thinking. Which is always a good thing!

God mmmmm Resist we must. Leads that path to the dark side young ErnestoVG

I presume you're referring to Taoism which I'm given to understand is what The Force was inspired by.

If you embrace Taoism "because it suits you" that is intellectually honest and it doesn't sound like you're out to impose Taoism or its norms on others.

If by some quirk of history, the US were "a Taoist nation" instead of an allegedly "Christian nation" (in other words, Taoism were the dominant / majority religion) then you could take it to the bank that you'd have a nice diverse selection of Taoist holidays. One could start a whole other thread making them up, might be fun. As it is, you are choosing a tiny minority religion and you'll get no government endorsement for whatever rituals or customs you want time off for. It's just one of the trade-offs for choosing a hobby / club house that's not in the mainstream.

Personally my view is that if you're going to belong to a tiny minority and that's bothering you for lack of holidays you might as well belong to a less tiny minority (atheists) and just embrace the no-holiday thing loud and proud I mean what do you NEED religion for exactly? That's the question to ask yourself. Taoism (or most sects of Buddhism) has no god anyway, so you're effectively an atheist anyway, might as well be an areligious one.

Although it's possible to regard Buddhism or Taoism similar to deism -- that there is a hovering amorphous Something presiding over existence, but it's non-interventionist. Then you have to wonder -- how would you tell a non-interventionist god, an absent / indifferent god, and a non-existent god apart? You can't really. They all behave EXACTLY the same. Reality plays out EXACTLY the same. And to me it's no comfort and has zero explanatory or predictive power to choose to believe, without evidence, that some sort of deity is "in control" even in the limited sense of holding things together.

Jedism is just the recognition that conciousness is a force of energy in the physical world. It is also a philosophy. I've. considered myself a jedi for 20 years and even put Jedi on any form that asks religion. But it has no god and doesn't have souls. Is there everlasting life of individuality, of the soul, In Jedism it is the wrong question. Individuality is an illusion, we are one entity. It is the only "so called" religion that claims nothing that science doesn't agree with. Unlike most where science is their enemy, Jedism has nothing to fear.

Consistent. Ghosts and a poor kid from one end to the other. The individuals and who gets to learn it? Not so much. But then it is when the belief is strayed from that problems come up... Other than segregation of course. That's right in there.
Star Wars and many other films originated from Sand Dune. A group of books and movies that inspired much of science fiction today.

You believe that one bad deed forever sets you down the dark path and you can only be redeemed posthumously? Grim.

At least you can't deny that it is based on fiction.

I don't bother with these questions about what it is or isn't. I'm Agnostic so I can be fine not knowing.

My first inclination is to say, "That's silly!". But it us no more silly than most religions.

Since they are all made up, rank it any way you please

I think there's just as much wiggle room for interpretation in the depictions of Jediism I've seen. I appreciate the ideas about balance, but I think it would wind up being just as bankrupt of a faith as Christianity in the end.

You mean Jedism is a thing? It is a movie character! If you want to speak in German syntax, be my guest but a cult? A movement? Sounds like it was invented by and for 13 year old boys.

All religions are made up from superstition,but at least star war movies the idea of advanced technologyie their space craft is a strong possibility for the futurebut the idea of a dark force or good force is in the same realm as superstition.