UK Church of the Jedi

The BBC News reports on continued efforts to establish a UK Church of the Jedi with services based on meditation, sermons about their spiritual beliefs, and light sabre training ('natch). Two brothers, Barney and Daniel Jones, are leaders of the new Church.

They plan to go to the official opening of a Surrey-based branch or "chapter" of the UK Church of the Jedi in April, and hope to hire an Anglesey venue for their own services.

Already six followers regularly meet in north Wales to discuss setting up the "church"...

However, any congregation member drawn to the dark side of the Force, embodied in the film by Darth Vader, would be advised they are following the wrong path and could face expulsion.

Barney explained: "Obviously, if someone starts to try and use the good force for greed and power, they are going to bring negative interference into the meetings.

"We cannot have the Force disrupted by negative interference."

Link

Previously on BB and BBtv:
• Jedi Bootcamp on Boing Boing tv Link
• Jediology big in Australia Link
• UN Interstellar Day of Tolerance Link

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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Brainspore

Good rule of thumb: Don’t join any new cults started by guys named “Jones.” It might be fun and games now, but you know sooner or later the leaders are going to freak out and order their flock to fall on their lightsabers.
Takuan

“OK everybody, now line up and drink your Mountain Dew”
Takuan

are they tax exempt?
kuanes

does George Lucas receive subsidies from their soon-to-be meager coffers?
Takuan

mmmm, good point; when does divine revelation trump copyright? If have a vision that the Jedi Way is the one true faith, does freedom of religion absolve me of paying Lucas?

Seriously, look at $cientology, all the other rackets (organized religions).They uniformly have no rational basis but are protected anyway.

Tax them all I say. Like any other vice.
Jeff

Why not. It’s part of our modern mythology and can be used as a mystical platform on which to build a disaplin, of sorts. I imagine that all you would have to do is live like a monk and speak with Star Wars lingo.

May the Force be with you
Rick.

Just when I start to think that I’m a huge nerd, someone comes along and makes me look like George Clooney.
Michael Brutsch

It’s good to see they are serious about being a “real” religion; identifying those who must be excluded because of their heretic beliefs is always a necessary first step.
acb

Although the current members are all men, women are not excluded, as Barney Jones points out: “Princess Leia helped them out a lot.”

They don’t say…
MarlboroTestMonkey7

It’s all expected as the evil empire of Scientology and Tom Vader will fall under the onslaugh of the dual might of Barney and Daniel.
UrinalPooper

*yawn*

Let me know when the First Church of the Sith is opening.
Trent Hawkins

I’m guessing that Chastity will not be an issue for Jedi priests.
Webbie

I’m a Jedi and so’s my wife.

Nobutseriously I am.
Put “Jedi” down as my religion on the 2000 Census I think it was ?
Me and a couple of million others.

Hey I’m in the States now so maybe I should set up a branch here.

If Cruise and his mates can…
Takuan

nor a vow of poverty
Jeff

There are female Jedi. But chaste you must be! The Jedi must give all of him/herself to the Order. There is no time or place for sex and romance! The utter distruction of the Sith is obviously one of the Order’s goals. And Rick, I think you have more of a Colin Farrell thing going. Not so much George Clooney.