"Star Wars" is a work of fiction, and Jedis do not really exist in real life. But a lot of people really admire their philosophy and way of living, so much so that they started a religion called "Jediism."
This has gotten Michael Snyder, a Republican candidate for Congress in Idaho's First Congressional District, really worried. After seeing a documentary called "American Jedi," Snyder researched more about the phenomenon and discovered a website for "the Temple of the Jedi Order."
Even though their faith is based on make-believe characters, Snyder was surprised to find out that the IRS granted them tax-exempt status in 2015.
"I was seven years old when 'Star Wars' first came out, and it definitely had a major impact on me," he wrote for Charisma News. "But even as a child, I understood that it was just a movie. Unfortunately, there are some people out there that are so drawn to 'the Jedi Order' that they actually want to make it a religious faith."
One such person is Opie Macleod. While he was practicing within the Jedi community, he discovered that his wife was having an affair with his friend, Miles Robinson, who is a practicing Sith. "My student, who I had said was a Jedi Knight, not only tossed the Jedi path away, to follow and explore the Sith path," Macleod told the Huffington Post, "but also slept with a Sith."
Because of the betrayal, Macleod veered away from the Jedi community. But after a few years, he came back and even took on another student - former marine Perris Cartwright who claims to have suffered from multiple rapes while in the marine corps before finding peace in Jediism, the more she got over past wounds.
Filmmaker Laurent Malaquais, who created the documentary, said she even learned something from Opie.
"Opie Macleod taught me a valuable lesson. Whenever you are confronted with a difficult situation in life, the very first thing you must do is fully accept it," he said. "I do believe Jediism is very much a religion. Simply because it's inspired by ancient religious practices and it definitely takes the place of religion in the lives of Jedi."
Malaquais might have been impressed by Jediism, but Snyder definitely isn't. He said that countless Americans are "groping for answers to the most fundamental questions in life," which have left them feeling disillusioned. Because of this "spiritual void," Snyder stressed that the need for new spiritual awakening has never been greater.
"It is one thing to dress up like Luke Skywalker and wave a fake lightsaber around, but it is another thing entirely to make 'Jediism' your religion. I guess it just shows how spiritually empty a lot of people are feeling these days," he said.
