Pope Yoda

And now some more thoughts on Star Wars and religion. (To check out what I originally wrote, click here and go down the bottom of the column.) The more I think about it, the more I think the analogy of Star Wars and religion is indeed apt (Apt, I say!)

Let’s start with the superficial. At the beginning of any Star Wars film, we are told our story happens, “a long time ago in a galaxy far far away…” Most religions today (with exception of Wicca) have their roots in alleged events of long ago, and from exotic far-off places (Heaven, the Eternal Void of Nothingness, wherever dollar-store figurines are made, etc.).

Secondly, Star Wars gives us a clear delineation between good and evil, the “light” and dark sides of the force, embodied by Jedi and Sith. Again, looking to major world religions, we have God/Satan, Enlightenment/Greed, Britney/Christina, etc.

Star Wars gives us a moral code: understanding we are all connected, to be selfless and think only of others, embrace the circle of life, impart tolerance and kindness, and avoid hate, anger and other strong emotions; just to name a few. Star wars offers us something larger than ourselves. Wherever two or three Star Wars fans are gathered…an argument will spring up on Padme vs. Leia, whether Greedo actually shot first, and how long a parsec is.

Finally—and forgive me if I get a little emotional—Star Wars has at least one other quality of any decent religion. I can vividly recall sitting in church services and squirming, because I was absolutely sure the sermon was being preached directly at me. (Of course, since my dad was often the preacher, it easily might have been, but I digress). If you’ve ever been to church, have you had that experience?

Okay, this, perhaps more than any other explanation, gets to the heart of what people care so much. Though they may never have verbalized it or even thought of it consciously, there are millions of people who feel like Star Wars was created just for them. It’s like George Lucas (“the maker”) looked deep into our hearts and gave us a concept of life, that, as soon as we saw it, we knew that’s what we always wanted to do and to be.

A few years ago, I came up with a this great game. My aunt Janie told me about this guest Johnny Carson had, who kept giving the audience choices, starting with “Which would you rather?” Then the man would go on to list to horrible alternatives, and the audience would call out which they preferred.

I adopted this, making my first question the following: “You’re sitting at a restaurant, with your girl, and a stranger comes over, up to no good. He can either steal a kiss from your girl, right in front of you, or steal your fresh hot plate of your favorite fries.”

Whatever choice they would make, I would take that one and then pair it with another, to see where people’s loyalties were. [Side note: it took me at least 8 different choices to get my friend Carlos off protecting his fries.]

At some point, I would change from the generally bad choices and head into good territory. Inch by inch, I would parse out what the person really wanted. At some point, they would always tell me it was the end: there was nothing they wanted more than their current choice.

It was at this point I would hit them with the opportunity to be Jedi Knight, to train under Yoda (or Darth, if they were chicks attracted to Bad Boys), to perhaps be Han and marry Leia, or to be Leia and marry Han. At least 85% would crumble from whatever utopia we had come to, and chuck it all for a chance at living Star Wars.

People care that much. That’s why they line up for hours, see it again and again, and discuss ad nauseum. Star Wars is life. Star Wars is salvation. Star Wars is a little green god with pointy ears.