Topic: Christian Scholarship
Seamonster's photo
Wed 04/08/09 05:09 PM
I was talking to a friend the other day and some how we started talking about Star Wars. My friend told me that he didn’t like the Prequel Trilogy. I couldn’t believe it. Who does he think he is? Has he studied the Prequel Trilogy? Does he have a degree in it? What scholarship has he read about it? He couldn’t even name one Star Wars scholar and yet he has already formed an opinion about the Prequels.

While I do take my Star Wars very seriously and I do love the entire Star Wars Saga (episodes I-VI) that is not what this is actually about. Because as much as I love the Star Wars Saga (sometimes even dogmatically) I am aware that it is fiction. Even though I can’t really prove that Darth Vader never really lived a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I am still reasonably certain that it is fiction. I don’t need to study the latest Star Wars scholarship to know that. Nor do I need to have a degree in Star Wars-ology.

However, many Christians seem to think that just because they can create universities, seminaries, and even museums devoted to the study of their fictional book that this some how makes their fictional book less fictional. Someone can study the Bible intensely for an entire lifetime and that still wouldn’t make it any less fictional. Sure, an intense study of the Bible may yield some interesting insights and perhaps even a little wisdom here and there as well, just like an intense study of the Star Wars Saga would. I will say that there is probably much more insight and wisdom in the “Holy Saga” than there is in the “Holy Bible,” but that is another debate for another day.

no photo
Wed 04/08/09 06:01 PM

I was talking to a friend the other day and some how we started talking about Star Wars. My friend told me that he didn’t like the Prequel Trilogy. I couldn’t believe it. Who does he think he is? Has he studied the Prequel Trilogy? Does he have a degree in it? What scholarship has he read about it? He couldn’t even name one Star Wars scholar and yet he has already formed an opinion about the Prequels.

While I do take my Star Wars very seriously and I do love the entire Star Wars Saga (episodes I-VI) that is not what this is actually about. Because as much as I love the Star Wars Saga (sometimes even dogmatically) I am aware that it is fiction. Even though I can’t really prove that Darth Vader never really lived a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I am still reasonably certain that it is fiction. I don’t need to study the latest Star Wars scholarship to know that. Nor do I need to have a degree in Star Wars-ology.

However, many Christians seem to think that just because they can create universities, seminaries, and even museums devoted to the study of their fictional book that this some how makes their fictional book less fictional. Someone can study the Bible intensely for an entire lifetime and that still wouldn’t make it any less fictional. Sure, an intense study of the Bible may yield some interesting insights and perhaps even a little wisdom here and there as well, just like an intense study of the Star Wars Saga would. I will say that there is probably much more insight and wisdom in the “Holy Saga” than there is in the “Holy Bible,” but that is another debate for another day.



I have wondered why they would have universities to study a book written by man that is known to exaggerate and out and out lie to further an agenda. Why would men back then be any different than today. True is they were not different in using the same techniques used today to manipulate information.

no photo
Thu 04/09/09 06:08 AM
Edited by smiless on Thu 04/09/09 06:23 AM
George Lukas a visionary with a vast imagination that allows him to create a epic story that was ahead of its time.

With the help of Joseph Campbell a professor of mythology, he created a believable universe that allowed people to sink into.

George Lukas's vast knowledge in religion landed him into believing eastern philosophy and becoming a buddhist.

If anything one can learn alot about the mind of this brilliant man and expand its knowledge further.

His philosophy created a religion called Jediism. With a million followers and growing it is now recognized as a official religion that believes in good and bad forces that we can control.

Who are we as a human race to say this belief system is wrong when in the end if we are ((really honest)) with ourselves and with others don't know?

Just like Professor Joseph Campbell's favorite coined phrase answer to it all was:

"Follow your Bliss"

which means follow the belief system that works best for you.

May the force continue to be with George Lukas and all who follow his lead. drinker


Abracadabra's photo
Thu 04/09/09 10:49 PM
I have wondered why they would have universities to study a book written by man that is known to exaggerate and out and out lie to further an agenda. Why would men back then be any different than today. True is they were not different in using the same techniques used today to manipulate information.


Well, not only that, but even if the religion were true I'd have to reject the offer from the biblical God anyway. There's no way that I can, in good conscience, condone a blood sacrifice in my name.

If the only way to appease this God is to condone his lust for blood sacrifices, then I have no choice but to reject his offer and force the God to cast me into his eternal hell fire.

It seems to me that's a really petty God. I have full control over what that God must do. He must cast me into his eternal hell fire. He has no choice. He's a totally powerless God. I refuse to condone his lust for blood sacrifices. If that's the only way to his 'love' I want no parts of this 'love' because from my point of view that's not even 'love' at all.

I want no parts of any God who is appeased by blood sacrifices. If that's the truth of reality then reality is far worse than had atheism been true. At least an atheistic universe isn't eternally mean.

Of course, fortunately, there are other possible scenarios for reality that are far better than either atheism or a blood thirsty jealous Godhead. If we're going to have blind faith in miracles, why not dream of the best possible scenario?

In fact, that's it right there! Life is indeed a dream. All of the atrocities that we see in this life are just illusions and in the deepest sense of reality they simply aren't real. That resolves the problem of 'good and evil'. It simply doesn't exist in the truest sense of reality. And even the Eastern Mystics came up with an ingenuous way that this can work thought a concept called "karma".

Surely if mere mortal men can dream up such a perfect reality, then any supposedly all-powerful all-wise God could even do them BETTER!

In fact, as far as I'm concerned that's the answer right there!

If there are some beings that created this universe, their wisdom is so infinitely beyond ours that if we, as mortal beings, can come up with a perfect explanation for life then the gods must have done us one better!

The idea of a God who's so inept that the only way he could figure out to save humanity is through a blood sacrifice, is simply not the signature of an all-wise God, IMHO. Therefore any books that claim that God is this inept were clearly not written by any truly supreme being. Only men could have come up with something that lame.

That's my view and I feel that it's a perfectly valid one.