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Christians Drawn to Star Wars Religion in Turkey

  • Veronica Neffinger

    Veronica Neffinger wrote her first poem at age seven and went on to study English in college, focusing on 18th century literature. When she is not listening to baseball games, enjoying the…

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  • Updated Aug 27, 2015

Turkish authorities are cracking down on “Jediism,” a religion based on the popular Star Wars films.

Turkish religious authorities are concerned about the rise in numbers of those who claim to adhere to Jediism, which they say is most prominent among Christians.

The Turkish authorities have launched a campaign against the religion, stating that it goes against Islamic teachings. 

The authorities are also criticizing Turkish entertainment for allegedly giving Islamic-themed names to unintelligent characters, according to Christian Today.

Turkish authorities were alarmed when, four months ago, students from a Turkish university launched an online campaign to have a Jedi temple be built on their campus.

According to the Temple of the Jedi Order’s website, its members are described as “real people that live or lived their lives according to the principles of Jediism, the real Jedi religion or philosophy.” The website also makes clear that its members are not merely Star Wars role players.

Although Jediism does not have any official doctrine, its website states, "The Jedi church recognizes that all living things share a living force and that all people have an innate knowledge of what is right and wrong, and the Jedi church celebrates this like no other religion.”

One member of Jediism, Iraq War veteran Ally Thompson stated, “No, we don't worship Yoda. And telekinesis is not something that we necessarily do — at least not like in the movies. But I won't deny that the force is very present in our teachings. Some people call it magic. Some call it ashe. The scientific community calls it energy. But it's everywhere. You can find it in the Bible. When Moses parted the Red Sea — how did he do that? With energy. With the force," Thompson concluded.

Publication date: August 27, 2015