A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Order of the Jedi served as the guardians of the universe. Through the power of the force, they stood vigilant against the destructive power of the Dark Side. Obviously this is a work of fiction, direct from the mind of George Lucas and brought to life in the Star Wars franchise. In the real world, however, Jedi are very real. Founded in the UK in 2007, the Church of Jediism (COJ) serves as a meeting place for individuals with a belief in the force. One has to wonder however; without the assistance of lightsabers, X-Wing Fighters and space stations the size of small moons, how do you become a Jedi in modern society? For more information, I spoke to Paul Cutler: a former soldier turned bus driver, who just so happens to be a high ranking member of the COJ. The Church of Jediism is a collection of mainly UK based followers of the Jedi faith. We are mostly an online organisation to allow access to a wider selection of people. The official website of the COJ (
www.ChurchofJediism.org.uk) illustrates the three central teachings of the religion; there is no emotion, there is peace; there is no death, there is the force; there is no passion, there is serenity. Essentially, this means that members of the COJ must not allow emotion to cloud their judgement, that all beings are connected by the force and in death return to this power and become a part of the universe and that passion must be controlled and used for constructive purposes. While the COJ do not discourage its followers from exploring other beliefs, as with any church there is a certain hierarchy and order which must be observed, as Paul explained. Ive been a member of the COJ for a long time, but I was never an active follower. A few years ago, I was in contact with Daniel Morgan Jones and he asked me to put myself forward for a spot on the council. In Dans absence I was the Leader of the COJ, but now hes returned Im back to my comfy old spot as the Head of the Order of the Jedi Praetorian's which is the ceremonial guard for physical meetings (when we have them) and also the Temple Guard if we ever make a physical place for the church. Members of the Jedi Council are dubbed the honorary title of Master to identify themselves as individuals who have been given additional responsibilities within the Church. This, however, is one of the few similarities between the COJ and the Order of Jedi from the universe of Lucas. I think it should be given more credibility. Jediism is simply the name given to this religion at this time. It has always been around in one form or another. People dont take it seriously as they believe it to be film or fan-boy worship but many of those following Jediism haven't seen the films and those that have are not all fans of Star wars. We share the Jedi name and the very basic principles. But apart from that the Church of Jediism and the Jedi order in the film are nothing alike. This opinion is one which runs throughout the Church, as exemplified in my discussion with Christopher Porter, a Master Daqian Xiong, Chief Librarian and Head of the Order of First Knowledge. When questioned about the force and whether there were those who could manipulate it, he provided an apt comparison. Are there Christians who can walk on water? No, we're not magicians. While some who follow the teachings of the Jedi do practice martial arts, we also do not wield lightsabers. Being a Jedi is about helping others, respect for yourself and most importantly a code. This might be based on the Jedi Code, but it could also be the Bushido Code, a Medieval Knights Code or something else, but you must hold yourself to it. The COJ actively encourages its members to take part in local charity work. We do what we can for who we can. One of our senior members is even a high ranking member of a charity that works with children and young adults in deprived areas. So we find the best donations we can offer charities is our own time and dedication. While admittedly slightly disappointed that this ruled out the possibility of moving objects with my mind, I had to admit that the Church of Jediism appeared to be a reasonable, organised, and logical religion (arguably more so than many which are considered mainstream in modern society). However, there had been one question which evaded me. What is the force? Many have tried to define the force. Paul told me what we at the COJ have found is that the force is different for each individual. Depending on your own journey and the influence of that persons master depends on how they interpret the force. The force is many things to many people. Echoed Christopher here is a brief overview of what I personally believe. In the beginning there was the big bang, this created energy, from this came the rest of the elements. On this planet a few amino acids combined in just the right way to create life eventually leading to our evolution. Having established that everything comes from energy, the second point I'd like to make is that no energy can be created or destroyed; simply changed from one state to another, this is the first law of thermodynamics. In my mind everything that exists, you, me, your bed, the sun, your computer and the steps outside your front door are all the force. While there are doubtless those who will continue to chastise the members of the COJ for their beliefs, I for one welcome an open minded, peaceful group of individuals who simply want to help society become a better place, even if it is based on a movie. And on that note: may the force be with you.