File this under "Weird but Valid Philosophy - Spirituality."
So, according to Myspace (and all such fare), my religion is Wicca. If they had "Shaman" on their little list, I would probably check that instead, but those things tend to be limited in scope. The term "eclectic" could be placed in front of either of those titles. I also have what most would call a "skewed" view of life, and that extends into religion (or philosophy or spirituality). So, recently I was asked what the influences on my beliefs were, and that "skew" showed up. Now, in my mind's ear, I can hear thousnds of fans asking me: "What form did that skew take, Bradleyman? Please, please enlighten us!" (Well, okay, it's probably ten of you saying "Get to the point," but I can dream.) The "skew" is Popular Culture.
To be precise, some of the more geek-related parts of Popular Culture; Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, and comic books. So how do these geeky little pieces of culture figure into my (at least somewhat) serious views of life? Hold on, and I will enlighten you.
Let us start with Star Wars. You probably think I am going to claim to follow the Way of the Jedi. Well, I like them and all, but no. It was not the philosophy of Lucas' thinly-disguised wizards that shaped my world-view. Nor did Luke's "Hero's Journey" shape my view of what a hero is any more than, say, "Clash of the Titans." I love the movies (I even find the prequels more tolerable than most do), but only a small part of them shaped my beliefs. That small part was Yoda. Actually, it was ONE LINE spoken in his Grover-like voice that affected me on a deep spiritual level. It's in "The Empire Strikes Back"; Luke has just failed miserably at using the Force to rescue his X-wing from the swamp. He goes off to sulk, and Yoda effortlessly levitates the X-wing. Seeing this, Luke mutters, "I don't believe it!", and the Jedi Master responds, "That is why you fail." That moment changed me. It wasn't the Force or God or whatever was important, it was Belief. That little piece of philosophy is still part of the core of my world-view. In a five-word response, a green piece of rubber, foam, and imagination taught me one of the most important lessons of my life.
Next, Dungeons and Dragons--or "D and D" as its players and the spelling-impaired are wont to call it. (I am both.) I learned two major things from "D and D". The first was "Order is not always Good." The alignment system of "D and D" has probably caused more fights among players than any other part of the game. It also should be taught in Philosophy 101. I could write an entire article on the system, but for my personal philosophy, the important part was that Good was not always the same as Order, and Chaos was not always the same as Evil. It was a realization that has served me well ever since. The greater realization that neither Law nor Chaos were, by nature, Good (or Bad) took longer to set in, but it still got its start from the realization that Robin Hood was Chaotic Good.
The other thing it taught me was that some people who call themselves Christian lie. Let me explain. My parents didn't jgo to church when I was growing up. As a result, I discovered "D and D" just before I started going to church with the families of my friends. I played the game for about a year before the first "Concerned Christian" told me it was evil. Now, I knew that "D and D" wasn't evil. When I tried to make a case, I was told I was stupid, something else I knew not to be true. It was the beginning of what caused me to seek paths other than Christianity. It was also the start of my hatred for those who use religion to control rather than enlighten, as well.
The grand finale in our little Geek Philosophy lesson is comic books. If I am any single type of Geek, it is a Comic Geek. I love superheroes. This is where I developed my ideas of what "justice" meant. That in and of itself is a major influence, but that is not the end of it. I also learned that "With great power comes great responsibility (Thank you Stan Lee via Ben Parker)." That lesson is one that every spiritual person should take to heart. It makes all who follow it behave as heroes, and in so doing, become heroes. Considering what a large part of my life comics have been you would thing there would be much more to say, but to again quote Stan “nuff’ said”
So, there you have the Holy Trilogy of my geekdom. The ways in which things most people think of as "light entertainment" shaped the way I live my life. Not in small ways, either. The lessons they taught me are all still part of my core belief system. Not bad for things people tend to dismiss as "fluff."
