In the past few months, my home has been transformed into, well, a Jedi training institute.

That’s what happens when a father (that’s me) momentarily loses his mind and buys his two young sons toy light sabers – the type that collapse into the handle and then “shoot out” with just a slight flick of the wrist. And so they have light saber battles at morning and at night, assuming they’ve gone their chores

All of this is not surprising, considering that I was a “Star Wars” fan growing up and that a new film in the series, “The Force Awakens,” was released in theaters last year and is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray. Yes, I was at the theater on opening night, and yes, soon thereafter I took my 7-year-old son to watch it.

Still, I’d rather my kids not grow up fantasizing about “Star Wars.” And I also don’t want them to become like those crazy people in Great Britain who pencil in “The Force” as their religion on census forms. And, finally, I don’t want them confusing anything in the “Star Wars” universe with anything in the Bible.

Some may scoff at my concern, but I also know that my kids – like many kids – are incredibly impressionable and lack discernment. And I also know that my kids – like many kids – can be clueless with weightier matters.

God commands parents to teach their children His commandments (Deuteronomy 6:7) throughout the day and to “train” them and prepare them for adulthood (Proverbs 22:6). Why would I hand that responsibility and privilege over to Hollywood and assume my kids can separate fact from fiction?

Besides, let’s be honest: “Star Wars” is a movie about a religion. Sure, it’s a fictitious religion, but it’s one that has elements borrowed from many real-world religions – as George Lucas himself acknowledged during a 1999 interview with Bill Moyers.

So, can we Christian parents use “Star Wars” to teach our children biblical truth? I think so. This is what I’ve told my kids about the series: Continue reading →