Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
We love Star Wars, but because of the way it was written, there are certain potholes that can be explained from a “certain point of view”…or that look like poor life choices for the characters from another “certain point of view.”
And today, the three Strangers are exploring Star Wars from that other point of view.
So for this episode, we have some fun poking fun at Obi Wan Kenobi and his really poor decision making.
Agreed. It called could have been avoided. The true crux of the problem falls on George Lucas who had decided to make Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker. By doing this, he really compromised the character of Ben Kenobi. He became a relativist liar.
If Lucas had just left Darth Vader– Darth Vader as in “Darth” being a first name, rather than a title, and Anakin Skywalker was really Anakin Skywalker, and Darth had actually killed him (like Kenobi said he did), then we would have the stupid prequels the way they were, and Leia wouldn’t be Luke’s sister (still a decision I detest).
I understand why — it’s more dramatic. But it also made the universe feel smaller, in my opinion, to have everyone related.
Also, this is what happens when you change your course after already starting a story. You end up with a lot of explaining to do. It led to some great moments — and it also let Han Solo and Leia get together without making Luke look like a chump. Something that could also have been done by just letting Luke and Leia realize it would never work and making them become strong friends. But that’s neither here nor there. or maybe it’s both here and there. So long as you look at it from a certain point of view. 🙂
If you read through the (non-canonical) novels, the reason Yoda was able to live on Dagobah was because the dark-side presence in the cave of existential navel-gazing hides his light-side forceness.
As such, setting up a school of light-side Jedis training the kids would have taken away their masking.
I’d happily go on and on about how Vader actually DID bring balance to the force, after all he only left one half-trained very emotional “Jedi” alive in the galaxy (barring rewrites). However, I agree with Steve that the Jedi Order is the root of all kinds of evil and mischief in the SW universe. I’m afraid I would have been a dedicated member of the Empire after seeing all the ills that came before it.
Now, the biggest problem I see Ben Kenobi having is training Anakin as-a-Jedi… why not train him in the fine art of FINE ART? At least there his whiny, angst ridden attitude would have found a positive expression; with the added bonus of NOT TRAINING THE EMOTIONALLY UNBALANCED SUPER POWERFUL KID as a warrior.
Dr. Jayce, you said in the podcast, “That is a very good Reformed Theology answer. It is predestined, therefore it must be.” Seriously? That’s not good Reformed theology at all! The Reformed do not believe in some “brute determinism” or de-facto fate. They believe that the Triune God is at work in the world to bring about his plans and purposes through various means. Moreover, the Reformed are very clear that while the Triune God planes / purposes / decrees / predestines, He alone knows what his plans are, we don’t have access to them apart from what has been revealed in Scripture or in past history. That is why, for example, the verse Deuteronomy 29:29 (“The secret things belong to the YHWH our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever…”) is important too Reformed theologians.
Sorry to get all serious about this, I just hate untrue pot-shots. Perhaps you only meant it in jest, but usually when I hear something like this it is meant seriously. You have a Ph.D., correct? At the least, you’d want to accurately portray various approaches. What Reformed pastor or theologian would say that?
Thanks all, and keep up the good podcasts!
Leave a Reply