Happy Star Wars Day
Christians often tell me that as an atheist I must believe in nothing. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Atheism refers to what I don’t believe in, but doesn’t say anything about I do believe in. So when asked, tell them that I believe in Star Wars.
Today is Star Wars Day. On May 25th 1977, Star Wars first hit the big screen. The Star Wars Saga was created as a modern mythology. George Lucas worked with Joseph Campbell to create a new story using the mythical themes of the past. Unlike other religious believers, I am well aware that my Holy Book or in this case Holy Films are fiction. Although, I think a Christian would have a hard time proving that Darth Vader didn’t actually live a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.
The fiction however tells a story which can inspire and teach us about the world around us. The Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice and we can learn a lot from how they live their lives and contrast that with how the Sith live their lives. Star Wars is a story of empires and rebellions, of love and loss, good and evil, and the rise and fall of people on a moral and personal level.
I take my Star Wars very seriously. Still, one big difference between my belief in Star Wars and the various religions in the world is that one need not believe on insufficient reasons. I can recognize that the Force is make-believe and yet still believe in the symbolism of the Force in the context of the story and how that can translate to reality.
May the Force be with you!
Filed under: Alternative Worldview, humanism, Star wars
