While the media hype may have died down, the interest in Star Wars: Episode I–The Phantom Menace lingers yet. Look no further than the displays, toys and other collectibles still available at favorite fast food restaurants for evidence that the movie is still big business. I recently peeled back a panel on a Star Wars game piece that was buried in a bag of potato chips to see if I was a million-dollar-winner. One never knows where he will find the next piece of Phantom Menace paraphernalia.
Though not the cultural phenomenon the original 1977 Star Wars was, the success of the latest installment of the George Lucas saga has introduced a whole new generation to the story of a galaxy far, far away. The long lines of devotees camped out for days, weeks, even months to be the first to see the film–don’t these people have jobs? families? a life?–gave proof in advance of the power of the series to capture attention.
Of special note, however, is the spiritual interest in the megahit. A recent article in a major newspaper cites a number of ministers “using the new Star Wars film to reach out to those searching for spiritual renewal.” There is even a web site, Star Wars–the Religion, devoted to spiritual analysis of various characters and elements of the story. In a Time magazine interview producer George Lucas revealed that he intended for the film to stimulate religious interest.
“I put the Force into the movie,” explained Lucas, “in order to try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people–more a belief in God than a belief in any particular religious system.” Therein is the problem. Lucas has crafted an entertaining reinforcement of the brand of religion most Americans crave, namely, a belief in a silly putty type of “force” outside of ourselves that can be shaped into whatever comforting image we desire without all the inconvenient trappings of “any particular religious system.” Lucas reveals, “Ultimately the Force is the larger mystery of the universe. And to trust your feelings is your way into that.” The message to “just follow your feelings” is appealing because it allows men to become their own gods and create their own truth, which has been man’s problem from the beginning (Genesis 3).
The appeal of subjectivism also explains the rising popularity of Eastern philosophy and religion in Western society–especially America. Lucas confesses he borrowed freely from ancient Gnosticism, Hinduism and Buddhism. It’s not difficult to see in “The Force,” which is composed of both a good and dark side, the impersonal All of Hinduism, which includes both good and evil. This all fits nicely into our Post Modern Age of relativism, which rejects the biblical worldview and any concept of absolute truth and morality and replaces it with the nobody’s wrong, everybody’s right mentality of modern (not traditional) pluralism. In fact, Lucas said in his Time interview that he has determined one religion is as good as another, declaring, “The conclusion I’ve come to is that all the religions are true.”
As ridiculous as that statement is on the face of it, most have no problem giving it the nod of approval. By declaring all beliefs equally valid (except, of course, any belief system which rejects the idea that all beliefs are equally valid, such as traditional Christianity) we are then free to do and believe as we please. We can even claim the comfort of divine help and favor from whatever Mysterious Force outside of ourselves we choose to embrace or create, all without having to be limited by any definitive religious code.
The simple fact of the matter is, if Christianity has any merit at all, then all other religions are false. Jesus claimed to be the only way to the Father (John 14:6). If Christ really is the Son of God, then men are not free to follow their feelings or fashion their own religion, but are under obligation to obey the will of God as expressed through Christ in the New Testament (Mat. 17:5; John 3:36; 12:48). The Bible simply cannot be what it claims to be–the revelation of the One True and Living God who has manifested himself to man in the person of Jesus Christ–if the pluralistic attitude that “all religions are true” is valid. If the pantheism of Eastern mysticism is genuine, then Jehovah of the Bible is a myth, the religion of Christ is a sham and we who believe in him are of all men most pitiable. But if the carpenter’s son from Nazareth really is Lord, then it is the Force that is the farce. (There is no misspelling in the title of this article.)
All agree that Star Wars is quality entertainment. We can appreciate its moral symbolism, the triumph of good over evil. And we wish all of today’s popular movies were as wholesome. But it cannot be denied the Star Wars saga has theological overtones which undermine, however subtly, true religion and reinforce the spiritual subjectivism of new age philosophy. Men want the luxury of believing in “God” and all the benefits that come with faith without having to actually believe what God said or be subject to him. To the extent that Star Wars helps to reinforce that fatal fantasy there is cause for concern. On one level it is harmless entertainment we can enjoy, but we should be aware of the impression it leaves on the culture. That impression, especially on young people who are mesmerized by the story, may be larger than we would like to believe.
People look in different places for spiritual direction. It is a natural tendency of man to long for something which transcends the material universe–some Force to be with him. In the midst of the spiritual confusion which clouds our culture, we face the challenge of directing men to the One Ultimate Being. He is the personal God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Old Testament Israel, the God of Sinai, the Father of Jesus Christ. He has a definite system of religion. It is revealed in the New Testament and excludes all other religious beliefs. When we look beyond ourselves for spiritual direction, we look in vain if we seek it anywhere else.
By the way, I peeled back my Star Wars game piece to find out that (surprise) I had not won the million dollar prize. The message said, “The Force was not with you.” But I already knew that.
[This article appeared in the August 8, 1999 issue of the Granbury Street Bulletin, published by the Granbury Street Church of Christ, Cleburne, TX.]
[Editor’s note: The New Age influence is clearly seen in The Phantom Menace. It was apparent not only with the “trust your feelings” line, but also in the insistence that the two Jedi Knights did not come across young Anakin by accident. Too plain to overlook were the words: “There are no accidents.” Our review of James Redfield’s book, The Celestine Prophecy, which was published in Spiritual Perspectives on May 18, 1997, the following comments were made about the first of Redfield’s nine insights:
“The first insight occurs when we take the coincidences seriously. These coincidences make us feel there is something more, something spiritual, operating underneath everything we do.”
Redfield makes it clear that accidents (or coincidences) simply do not exist.
But even though New Age doctrine permeates the Star Wars series, something even more disturbing found its way into The Phantom Menace–the implication of a virgin birth. Anakin’s mother, Shmi, does not know how she became pregnant. Is it possible that the producers of the movie wish for people to believe that the one who becomes Darth Vader was born of a virgin? How could such an evil individual, responsible for so much destruction and so many deaths, carry such an exalted status? We have no way of knowing how all of this will play out, but as it stands presently, the word blasphemy seems appropriate.]