The Living Force: This is the energy generated by the “here and now” of biological life. Every plant, animal, and sentient being produces this energy through the act of living. It represents localized empathy, raw life-force, and instincts. Jedi who focus heavily on the Living Force (like Qui-Gon Jinn) prioritize the immediate present, trusting their instincts and focusing on saving the lives directly in front of them.

The Cosmic Force: This is the “big picture” macro-verse. It is the vast, overarching wellspring that binds the entire galaxy, space, and time together. It possesses a grand, unified consciousness—the literal “will of the Force” that orchestrates destiny and guides galactic events. Jedi who focus on the Cosmic Force are more prone to experiencing visions of the future and dealing with grand prophecies.

The eternal cycle

The relationship between the two forms a literal spiritual ecosystem:

1. Generation: Living organisms live out their lives, actively generating the Living Force.
2. Transition: When an organism dies, its individual life energy doesn’t disappear; it passes away and feeds into the grand wellspring of the Cosmic Force.
3. Communication: The Cosmic Force then speaks back to the physical world. It communicates its macro-intentions to living beings influencing the Living Force to correct imbalances.
4. Rebirth: New life is continually sparked from the energy of the Cosmic Force, restarting the cycle.

Understanding the distinction is also exactly how Qui-Gon Jinn discovered the secret to becoming a Force ghost. By anchoring his consciousness securely within the connection between the Living and Cosmic fields, he learned how to retain his physical identity even after his individual life-force had dissolved back into the cosmic whole.

Jedi factions argued over which aspect to prioritize because their choice directly dictated a Jedi’s moral duties, political alignment, and daily actions. Choosing one over the other completely alters how a Force-user interacts with the galaxy.

The ideological divide

The debate split the Jedi Order into two distinct philosophical camps, creating major internal tension:

• Living Force advocates (The Mavericks): Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn argued that prioritizing the present moment was the only way to do true good. They believed that by focusing too much on grand cosmic destinies, a Jedi becomes detached from reality, missing the suffering and needs of individuals right in front of them. To them, the future is always in motion, so fixing the immediate present is what matters most.

• Cosmic Force advocates (The Traditionalists): The Jedi High Council and Grand Master Yoda (prior to the Clone Wars) leaned heavily toward the big picture. They argued that without focusing on the Cosmic Force, a Jedi is blind to overarching galactic imbalances, dark side conspiracies, and long-term consequences. They believed that micro-actions in the present are meaningless if they inadvertently lead to a macro-disaster in the future.  ( “It doesn’t matter if an action seems good right now if it ends up causing a much bigger problem later.”)

The tragic consequence

This philosophical argument had catastrophic real-world results for the Jedi Order:

• The Council’s blindness: Because the Jedi Council was hyper-focused on the Cosmic Force—watching for grand prophecies and massive shifts in galactic politics—they became politically rigid and emotionally detached.

• Palpatine’s exploitation: Darth Sidious easily exploited this detachment. The Council was so busy trying to decipher the grand future that they failed to notice the immediate, living suffering of citizens, cloning conspiracies, and the emotional collapse of Anakin Skywalker happening right under their noses.

Over two millennia ago, a new hope was born into the world, a Savior who would offer the promise of salvation to all mankind. Just as the three wise men did on that night, this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus – Republican press release celebrating Trump’s Presidential win

On Wednesday, 21 August 2019, President Donald Trump turned, looked to heavens and proclaimed, “I am the chosen one.”

Are Republicans asking people to worship them?

– Rev Benjamin Cremer

The classic Just-War Theory has its origins in Christian theology. Saint Augustine is usually identified as the first individual to offer a theory on war and justice. Augustine referred to the Bible and regarded some wars as necessary to amend an evil. Saint Thomas Aquinas revised Augustine’s version, creating three criteria for a just war: the war needed to be waged by a legitimate authority, have a just cause, and have the right intentions. The moral justifications for a war are expressed in jus ad bellum; whereas, the moral conduct of the war is expressed in jus in bello. The Just-War Theory is a set of rules for military combat.

Principles of Just-War Theory

1. Last Resort
   • A just war can only be waged after all peaceful options are considered. The use of force can only be used as a last resort.
2. Legitimate Authority – Jus ad bellum
   • A just war is waged by a legitimate authority. A war cannot be waged by individuals or groups that do not constitute the legitimate government.
3. Just Cause
   • A just war needs to be in response to a wrong suffered. Self-defense against an attack always constitutes a just war; however, the war needs to be fought with the objective to correct the inflicted wound.
4. Probability of Success
   • In order for a war to be just, there must be a rational possibility of success. A nation cannot enter into a war with a hopeless cause.
5. Right Intention
   • The primary objective of a just war is to re-establish peace. In particular, the peace after the war should exceed the peace that would have succeeded without the use of force. The aim of the use of force must be justice.
6. Proportionality
   • The violence in a just war must be proportional to the casualties suffered. The nations involved in the war must avoid disproportionate military action and only use the amount of force absolutely necessary.
7. Civilian Casualties – Jus in bello
   • The use of force must distinguish between the militia and civilians. Innocent citizens must never be the target of war; soldiers should always avoid killing civilians. The deaths of civilians are only justified when they are unavoidable victims of a military attack on a strategic target.

St. Augustine’s just war theory outlines conditions under which war might be considered morally permissible. He believed that war should be a last resort, undertaken to achieve peace and to punish evil, rather than for the sake of war itself. He emphasized that the desire for peace should be the primary motivation, and war should be waged only when necessary to restore order or prevent greater harm.

Here’s a more detailed look at St. Augustine’s key ideas:

• Purpose of War:
  • Augustine saw war as a means to an end, specifically the establishment of peace and the punishment of evil. He believed that war could be just if it was waged to punish sinners or to return the world to a state of peace.
• Just Cause:
  • A just cause for war, according to Augustine, could be self-defense, defending the innocent, or punishing those who have broken the law.
• Legitimate Authority:
  • War must be declared by a legitimate authority, such as a state or leader, not by individuals or factions.
• Right Intention:
  • The intention behind the war must be to seek peace and justice, not to gain power or territory.
• Last Resort:
  • War should be a last resort, only undertaken after all other peaceful means of resolving the conflict have been exhausted.
• Proportionality:
  • The use of force must be proportionate to the harm being inflicted, and the potential consequences of the war must be weighed against the benefits of peace.
• Reasonable Chance of Success:
  • There must be a reasonable chance of achieving the objectives of the war and bringing about peace.
• Divine Will:
  • Augustine believed that war could be seen as just when it aligns with the divine will, even if it is not explicitly stated in the Bible.

St. Augustine’s just war theory has had a significant influence on the development of just war theory in Western thought, providing a framework for evaluating the ethical implications of war. His emphasis on peace as the ultimate goal and the need for just cause, legitimate authority, and right intention remains relevant in contemporary discussions about war and peace.

Perhaps he was was sent by ‘God’, but to test you.

Didn’t Trump say he can walk into dressing rooms and see naked girls? Didn’t he also say they couldn’t stop him because he owned the pageant?

“Slavery as it existed in the South was not an adversarial relationship with pervasive racial animosity. Because of its predominantly patriarchal character, it was a relationship based upon mutual affection and confidence. There has never been a multi-racial society which has existed with such mutual intimacy and harmony in the history of the world. The credit for this must go to the predominance of Christianity. The gospel enabled men who were distinct in nearly every way, to live and work together, to be friends and often intimates. This happened to such an extent that moderns indoctrinated on ‘civil rights’ propaganda would be thunderstruck to know the half of it. Slave life was to [the slaves] a life of plenty, of simple pleasures, of food, clothes and good medical care. In spite of the evils contained in the system, we cannot overlook the benefits of slavery for both blacks and whites . . . Slavery produced in the South a genuine affection between the races that we believe we can say has never existed in any nation before the War or since.”

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0

StopProject2025Comic.org by StopProject2025Comic.org is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0