? Of The Week.........July 13-19/2003

Why do you think the "light side" of the Force allows the "dark side" to rise?

I think that the dark side is the way its used. its all free will. If the light side exists, and the choice is available to use as we see fit, the darkside must exist, as it derives from the way the force is used. And typically darkness and shadow is immesurable. It is the absence of light.

Good answer cinamafreak!

I think the Light Side allows the Dark Side to rise so that it will make the Light Side known to all.............

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."

That's why. You can't have good without bad and vice versa. It just has to even itself out every now and then.

Misconception... there is no light side there is no dark side... think of the Force as a yinyang. It exist as a whole... the power of life and death more of a constant cycle of renewal. However, sometimes the balance shifts and one side grows heavy causing a pendulum effect to balance out the way the Force is used.

Notice how when a lot of Jedi were around they only used the Force for protection and preserving life... the light side grew heavy and the Jedi's connection to the Force wavered. The Force must exist in balance one side can never and shall never completely destroy the other.

Just a thought....

Lodreh SaJon ~
"If you seek knowledge and understanding look to the Force. If you seek pain and suffering look no further than me."

Like Lodreh said there are no sides.

Blame it on Vergere but it has been written whether we like it or not.

However, sometimes the balance shifts and one side grows heavy

Just a question. How can one side grow heavy if there are no sides?

Just as I said look at it as a whole like a yin-yang... a cycle not really two different things just how it is used....

Admittedly that was probably poor word choice on my part.

Lodreh SaJon ~
"If you seek knowledge and understanding look to the Force. If you seek pain and suffering look no further than me."

The force is choice. It is how you use it.

"The Force is one ... is everything and everything is the Force ... it doesn't take sides. The Force doesn't even have sides ... what you call the dark side is when you give yourself wholly to the Force." - Vergere

When the yuuzhan vong invaded the galaxy the Jedi were faced with a question - why are teh vong devoid of the force - why can't they be felt? This is like saying - whatever religious belief you have is wrong and it was confusing. Vergere offers the explanation that they are not in fact outside of the force but exist on another level. The quote above is a piece of teh lecture she gave Jacen.

This is from the inerview with the author of Traitor:
I'd like to quote here from something I wrote to one of the prominent members of the Lit Forum who was somewhat troubled by Vergere's teachings about the Force. He goes by the handle JediMasterAaron, and he asked me some pretty penetrating questions, that I think go right to the heart of this theme. This was part of my answer:

"It can be argued that Yoda trained Luke the way he did specifically to defeat the Emperor -- NOT because that's what JK were in the Old Republic. In fact, we now know that Luke would scarely qualify as a Padawan by Old Republic standards.

From my point of view, what Vergere teaches Jacen to become is far closer to what the Jedi are SUPPOSED to embody. Even Luke, remember, doesn't end up DESTROYING the Bad Guys -- instead he allows his mere presence to "save" the one who can be saved, and destroy the one who can't. (By my recollection, anyway -- it's been a few years since I saw RotJ.)

A war of Good v. Evil is better in concept than in execution. The division of reality into Good and Evil is a disease of modern civilization -- it's even infected our secular politics. It's okay for our armed forces to kill innocent civilians in Afghanistan, because we're "rooting out the Evil." From bin Laden's point of view, it's okay to kill innocent civilians in the USA (and elsewhere) for EXACTLY THE SAME REASON.

It is the responsibility of those who CAN look deeper to do so. I say: by the end of TRAITOR, Jacen is a better Jedi than he has ever been, because he has learned to LOOK DEEPER... I think SW is more about dealing with the darkness in your own heart -- Luke had to do that, in order to face Vader and the Emperor; and then instead of killing Vader he could lead him back toward the light.

I should also point out that "the Force is One." The darkness inside is reflected outside, and vice versa. What Vergere is really teaching Jacen is to seek truth within, because it will reflect truth without. To trust his feelings, you might say..."
-Matthew Stover

The force is a tool, and like any other tool, it can be used for 'good' or 'evil'. Further, 'good' and 'evil' are usually dependent on one's perspective. IOW, "there is nothing good or evil, but thinking makes it so."

As westerners, most of whom were reared on Christian ethics, we often try to make the force fit that frame of reference. In fact, my uncle, a Southern Baptist Minister has talked about the force in sermons.

But, if we are going to look at the force as any type of "real world" religion, then wicca or shamanism would probably be the most appropriate. From what I understand, both systems believe that it is possible to manipulate spirits or life force to influence one's physical surroundings.

But also Budhist religions and similar from the western world - Reiki literally means "Life Force" and this life energy is a concept common in Asia.

Entropy, I love the way you use paradox and oxymorons to explain things. Tell me again... Christian ethics?

j/k Real world ethics although supposedly born of Religion were originally founded in a philosophical debate by great logic calculators of the age ( read Aristotle ). Personally I always find it terribly amusing when people correlate fiction ( Star Wars ) with real personal beliefs ( Religion )... it's almost as though they enjoy believing the fiction.

Lodreh SaJon ~
"If you seek knowledge and understanding look to the Force. If you seek pain and suffering look no further than me."

food for thought Lodreh........

The fiction you refer to.......What if, Lucus took something that was "non-fiction" & made it "fiction"........Wouldn't it still be "non-fiction"?

I have really enjoyed the thought & discussions that have taken place w/this weeks ?.