I know what you're thinking, I do usually try to keep my blogs separate. But I've been talking about different parallels between different religious institutions and the mixing of politics with a friend recently and I've started seeing similarities in some things. Like the relevance of the Dune book series that continues still today, there are very relevant points to be considered from standard pop culture, such as Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The premise of it entails different situations where the jedi and their clone armies go fight baddies, while learning things along the way (sometimes). There were several things I found interesting as I watched through all seven seasons of the show.
In pop culture such as Star Wars, the Jedi are known to be peacekeepers, fighting for what's right, defending the weak and helpless, and striving for what's true, while depending on the light side of the Force to guide them through these challenges and their every day lives. In this show however, they end up making some questionable decisions, that end up contradicting what they initially stand for. In the end, the jedi end up being destroyed, Anakin becomes Darth Vader, and the Empire is set to subjugate every known galaxy for a number of years. The clones (the ones who survive the 3-year long war), are left to pick up the pieces, and even wonder who they are as people when they're not needed to help fight as soldiers. The question asked by the bad guys in every other episode of the show is this heavy-hitter: "the jedi are peacekeeping, noble warriors, so what are they doing getting involved in politics and fighting a war?" I know that the standard christian don't have force sensitive capabilities, but they have a similar code to the jedi: love God, love people, fight for what's right, and be willing to serve. There have been many wars that have been fought in history, but the problem with christianity nowadays I feel, is that christians have allowed themselves to become involved in politics to where it's become part of who they are as people, much like the politics of the clone wars became part of who the jedi were. Frank Herbert (author of the Dune series) puts it like this: "You cannot avoid the interplay of politics within an orthodox religion. The power struggle permeates the training, education and discipline of the orthodox community. Because of this pressure, the leaders of such a community must face that ultimate internal question: to succumb to complete opportunism as the price of maintaining their rule, or risk sacrificing themselves for the sake of the orthodox ethic".
Here's where the Jedi went wrong: ultimately, they gave up who they were, gave up what kept them unique from everyone else as an order, to fight a war that ultimately yielded no positive results in the end. The planets they visited and fought on questioned the ethics of the jedi who were participating in the war, and wondered what went wrong that changed their stance on peace and the task of keeping it. Nowadays, I wonder about the same thing about the evangelical church. Remember that when Jesus came to earth, people were expecting a warrior to bring about change that meant forcing the Romans out and giving Israel back to it's people, and they got someone completely different, who taught that it was better to be peacemakers, who loved all, fought for what was right, and to stand up for the weak and broken when necessary. Such a radical belief system was not widely accepted, but some were able to take it in and live it out. In present day however, it's a far different picture. Christians have become so embroiled in politics that it's become a part of them, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to make things happen. I'm a part of the generation that has spent childhood in church, but currently I am in the process of deconstructing my faith, and figuring out where I fit in all of it. The clones in the show have a similar struggle. All are bred to fight, all follow the idea that they're fighting for a good cause that'll have a great victory in the end. Some follow orders, and feel comfortable doing it. Others follow orders, and question them always. Some even wonder who they'll be after the war is over, when they've just been soldiers, and it's the only life they've ever known. In one instance, even a padawan learner started questioning the ethics of the jedi, and eventually left to figure things out on her own.
The problem we face today is that christians have forgotten how it all started: with a simple human man who was also divine, who came to a world full of hurt and broken-hearted people, and showed them that there was light still, and there was hope to have yet. That there was actually "Good News", and it was to be shared with everyone. Now, christians are biased, sometimes even prejudiced, and blinded to the cause of those who are being targeted because of their race, gender/sexuality orientation/etc., when we're supposed to love people for who they are. Jesus hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, you name it. The Jedi were striving for perfection while weaving politics into their code, which made them and their practice a heavy weight on the scales of the force, when it was supposed to be balanced, believing they could keep the ideals and integrity they had before the war started, when really they were ruining their own reputation as their participation in the war continued to be a constant. Christianity has forgotten their origin point, and what their "code" is, preferring to weave politics into their beliefs, to the point where it's become a religion of rigidity, one that offers no solace, sanctuary, or support to those who need it the most, and yet, they think that they're the same as they always have been, and don't see the drastic changes that have completely gotten rid of the original ideals and beliefs that were a part of the original christian "code", as it were.
As time has gone on, I have seen more and more people turn away from the faith, because it's not what they thought it was. Different prejudices have made people skeptical, wondering if christians are capable of the love and acceptance that's spoken of in the bible. I see them wondering why if they're supposed to be preaching God's love and they're supposed to be "peacekeepers" in a way, why are they getting so involved in politics that it's twisting the morals into what's they're not supposed to be? Why is christianity continuing to get more and more nationalistic instead of being separate from it? Jesus said to be in the world but not of it, and being in the world to christians apparently means mixing politics with dogma. The two are actually more like oil and water; they always end up separate with one always on top, and even when stirred together, they are always separate in the end, never alike in any way. Here's another quote from Frank Herbert I'll leave you with: "when religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong--faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it's too late." The jedi thought they could put the politics and the war in the same "cart" as their beliefs, morals, and their code. What was waiting for them at the precipice was order 66 and the looming threat of the empire that Palpatine had been working towards for a long time. I'm not saying the same fate is at the edge of the precipice for christians who combine religion and politics, but I am saying that at some point there will be consequences, and I shudder to think at what those might be. It's not too late to slow down and reevaluate; it never has been too late.
