So I was watching Empire Strikes Back and I recall the idea of the Jedi Code that emotions are deceitful and lead to the Dark Side. As a christian, i believe that to be true. Yes, our hearts desires can lead to sin, but does that mean we should avoid emotions all together, I don't think so. As a believer I need to not let my emotions stop me from obedience, but emotions are a natural part of human nature and can also lead to producing good fruit.
Jesus faced emotions and he was holy and did not sin. This makes me feel uncomfortable about the force, but its an interesting topic to discuss with you guys.
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I agree with you about discerning where responsibility does and does not belong, Ryan. However, George Lucas (correct me if I'm wrong) has not made any effort to stop the church of the Jedi due to moral reasons or even copyright infringement. If I were a filmmaker and people turned my film creations into idolatry I'd certainly be concerned and say something. Paul and Barnabas were deeply grieved when the people of Lystra, Asia Minor (now Turkey) thought they were Mercury and Jupiter and wanted to worship them with sacrifices, but these men of God put a stop to it (Acts 14:8-18).
In regards to 'the Force' it is interesting that of the Antichrist it is written, "But in his estate shall he honour the god of forces, and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain" (Daniel 11:38,39).
We must remember that although George Lucas created "Star Wars" as well as the concept of the "force" he did not make anyone form a church based upon his creative works. Those that did this did it of their own free will. Also science fiction is not to blame for the formation of Scientology. Those that created it made the choice to do so. And consider this, suppose an individual in today's society slew his brother and had received the idea for it by reading the passage of Cain and Abel in the Holy Bible. Would this make the person who wrote the book of Genesis directly responsible for this crime? I certainly don't believe so. Therefore I do not believe that George Lucas is at fault for other people forming a religion based upon his creative works.
"Christopher Haupt" Yah thats why I find the force in star wars a deceitful influence on people. What I don't get is why parents are more worried about harry potter since it has quote on quote "Witch Craft". But Star Wars is ok. Not saying I wont let my kids watch Star Wars, but I'm more skeptical on that then Harry Potter.
Harry Potter is a pretty good book series if you ask me. The magic is all made up and not really conveying a religion of any sort.
I don't mind if I watch star wars as long as I don't follow the spirituality influence its trying to convey. What I tried to do was find another metaphor of my own that can lead to the creator, sadly I cannot find one. One friend from church told me its ok as long as you interpret it differently as a biblical perspective, but its kind of impossible in my opinion in terms with the force. So I pretty much disagree with him.
It's good to know where the creators of these secular entertainments are coming from. That will shed some light on what they are propagating. Every film, comic book, pop song, etc. out there has a "message" and an agenda behind it....and they're usually NOT the Gospel message or God's agenda, but that of the world, the flesh, or the devil (or a combination of several, if not all).
George Lucas once said in an interview, "I used to be a Methodist, but now I'm an enlightened Buddhist." That's where he's coming from.
"The Force" ties in very much with paganism/eastern animism/shamanism which teaches that all things are interconnected, that God is an impersonal force, that there is yin and yang which are merely two sides of THE SAME THING---and that is a false teaching in direct opposition to the Gospel. All creation is proof enough of its Creator, and Israel is proof enough that God's chosen people are the Jews to whom He gave the law, the prophets, and Messiah---and from which the Gospel of Jesus Christ has gone out to the ends of the earth. That same Israel is back as a nation after almost 2,000 years of displacement---no other people group which was conquered and scattered has ever survived as a culture for more than 300 years---EXCEPT the Jews. God cannot lie; His Word speaks clearly on these things. Both Jews and Gentiles need to come to salvation through Jesus Christ; there are no exceptions. The new covenant is very much in place, but God has not forsaken the Jewish people (replacement theology is a false teaching); though they have endured incredible hardship and oppression over the millennia, the Jews are undeniably blessed of God. They made Israel into a garden spot in only a few decades, whereas the Arabs had "Palestine" for well over a thousand years, and it remained a desert heap of ruins.
There was a time when the Holy Spirit would not even let me watch the "Star Wars" films. He was grieved every time it came on network TV when I tried to watch it. I did finally see the 1977 film recently (after seeing it in the theatre all those years ago), and while well made, creative, and with a superb score it has a false spirituality at heart which has influenced MILLIONS of people. Francis Ford Coppola (film director of "The Godfather" and many other films) told his former UCLA film student George Lucas after the success of "Star Wars": "Y'know, you really could start your own religion with this. No kidding." "I know," Lucas replied. There is a 'church of the Jedi' in the UK with hundreds of thousands of adherents. Remember, scientology was started by a series of sci-fi novels in the 1930s written by L. Ron Hubbard. Look at many of the Hollywood elite who have subscribed to this cult's false teaching.
As for emotions, we are body, soul, and spirit, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:23. The soul is the realm of the intellect and emotions. Born again believers are led by their spirit which is in turn led of the Holy Spirit. So it was when God created Adam, but when Adam disobeyed God, sin and death entered into the world, and Adam died spiritually. His spirit shriveled up, and he became a soulish creature, much like fallen men are today. We are all born in the image of Adam, with that Adamic nature evident even in infancy. That's why we need to be born again in Christ. Here's a beautiful cartoon by E. J. Pace from the early 1920s which pretty much sums the matter up.
Kind regards in Christ Jesus,
Alec
Right now I'm watching Star Wars: Clone Wars and I'm loving it. I really want to get to know Anakin, because in the movies I couldn't get attached to the character, so when he changed into Darth Vader it didn't really do anything for me because I didn't get to know the character enough. Like in a tv series, characters have more opportunity to develop and you get to see them go through things and mature and then for me the audience it becomes personal. So I'm trying to watch the series so I can get that attachment. So far, so good. He's a very interesting character, and one of the greatest villians of all time.
God is filled with all kinds of emotions, He expresses a lot of his feelings in the old testament with His relationship with Israel. Of all the emotions that God expresses "Love" is the greatest. It guides all His decisions in dealing with us. Jesus too experienced human emotion: anger, frustration, love, etc.. I think ultimately shying away from emotion will only hurt a person, we have emotion only because God created it, and to not experience all that God has for us would be a crime. Including emotions. I think emotions have purpose, but need to really be thought about, and need to be used in it's proper context. For instance, being angry is not a sin, God created it, and God Himself expresses anger. Anger towards injustice, anger towards sin, indignation, etc.. that's when anger is used in it's right context. Then the bible tells us a simple guideline when it comes to anger, "be angry sin not." But it never says to not be angry. Everything has to be in the right context. And I think the more we mature the greater we come to understand our emotions and how to not give in to them when it comes to acting on them in a negative way. It's a process. God always tests us, and just when we think we have a lock on them, He stretches us even more. He'll use people, places, circumstances, family, etc..
Jesus used the emotions of the people to help minister to the people, the stories he told really challenged the Jews and the views they held onto so tightly, and He used their emotions as an opportunity to explain how God really sees things. God's perspective vs. the human perspective.
Emotion also causes the very best prayers to come out of us. It's only when we are angry, or filled with love, or some other type of emotion when God really listens to what we are saying because then . . . we are serious. And bold. And focused.
Emotion is a good thing. And should not be bottled down or discarded, especially when it was created by the Creator. The enemy may try to pervert and use emotion his way, but emotion was created by God.