In defense of...Star Wars

Well, once again, I feel like I have been challenged on my being a fan of Star Wars (SW). Yes, Star Wars the movies. Sure, a lot of people are fans of Star Wars, however, it is a common thought among Christians that SW is taken from the teachings of Buddhism and has elements of mysticism that is not appropriate for believers in the Most High God (the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob).

I respectfully disagree.

First of all, being a person of strong faith, might I suggest that a story, myth, legend or drama will not change my faith one iota. My faith comes from, first and foremost, from a strong personal relationship with the One True God, and His Son, Yeshua HaMaschiach (the Messiah). My faith is confirmed and formed further by the Torah (Tanach), and the Apostolic writings (otherwise known as the Holy Bible, the 66 books of the current canon that most Christians read also). I strive daily to live out the commands and teachings contained therein. It is my hope that my actions show this sufficiently, through what I say and how I act towards my community and to my neighbor.

That being said, I would like to address some specific thoughts concerning SW. SW is a myth or a legend. "Every civilization on Earth has told mythic stories to express it's apsirations, achievements, and the deeper meaning of life. From the earliest times, myths have excited and inspired us because they serve to describe the human experience. Myths show us what we are capable of as individuals." (1) I totally agree with this statement. SW is a one of the great mythic stories of our time. I find great inspiration from the Jedi characters of this story, as they display great bravery, self-control, righteousness and wisdom. A high emphasis is placed upon learning and study. All characteristics I would like to emulate, as I see no opposition to my faith. Some SW characters personify qualities that I most abhore; selfishness, greed, and evil. Nothing makes a better story than juxtaposing good vs. evil. I have no desire to emulate any SW villian in any way (like I even need to say that).

But, I don't think any of the above is what gives some Christians heartburn. I believe the problem is, specifically, the mysticism that is present in the Jedi 'theology'.

"Here is the straight skinny on the Force: In interviews George Lucas has explained that the Force is a symbol for all that is unseen in the universe. The light side is essentially a symbol for God — the unseen Power of good — while the dark side is a symbol for the forces of evil.
According to Lucas, the Jedi exhortation to "Use the Force" essentially means "Make a leap of faith" (or "Trust God"). The phrase "May the Force be with you," of course, is clearly evocative of "May God be with you." The connection beween God and the Force (or its light side) was strengthened in Episode I with the introduction of the concepts of "the living Force" and even "the will of the Force." (2)

George Lucas also states that his whole idea behind SW was to make people consider a 'higher power'. As a Christian, he was not looking to evangelize or convert anyone to a particular religion, but to simply cause a younger generation to ponder the existence of a power larger than themselves. At the time when SW first emerged, all known religions espoused to being the basis for the film(s). Stating that the films were based upon the teachings of Buddhism or Taoism is just simply false. Yeah, I know folks have a hard time with the characters levitating objects, using mind tricks and meditating... I just don't have any problems with those things any more than Mary Poppins flying on an umbrella or causing toys to magically fly into toyboxes to fascinate children.

In the words of George Lucas: "Most, I mean all, art, all mythology is a metaphor. It's not about that. It's not about the words written on the page. It's not about the paint on the surface or how they got there, it's about your impression, your emotional impression of being there. It's about how does it renew your faith. How does it renew your spirit? ...art is communicating to the emotions of human beings. That is what art does and whether it's music or writing or graphics or cinema, all you're doing is telling a story that is meaningful to people in one way or another and that you're striking their emotional chord that you couldn't do with a set of instructions or, you know, some kind of scientific analysis or some mathematical equation that is relatively unemotional.." (3)

In conclusion, if you feel that SW is going to disturb your faith, then let me respectfully suggest that you don't watch it. All believers in the God of the Bible will need to make that decision for themselves.

(1) Star Wars, The Power of Myth, DK Publishing,
(2) http://www.decentfilms.com/sections/articles/starwarsissues.html
(3) http://www.staticmultimedia.com/content/film/features/feature_1115643931