Can a "good" Jedi, (any class) use Force lighting?

Jedi don't really use Force push/pull with the intention of breaking people's bones/skulls or ending their lives with a shove off of a building.

All that matters, when it comes down to it, is if they use their emotions or not. If they don't use their emotions to power their Force abilities, then they're Light Side. If they use their emotions to power their abilities, they're Dark Side.

Force Lightning is harnessed, as I've read, through concentrating hatred/anger/fear/jealousy/whatever. Obviously, a Jedi can't concentrate those, or he isn't a Jedi.

Originally posted by Bespin Bart
Jedi don't really use Force push/pull with the intention of breaking people's bones/skulls or ending their lives with a shove off of a building.

All that matters, when it comes down to it, is if they use their emotions or not. If they don't use their emotions to power their Force abilities, then they're Light Side. If they use their emotions to power their abilities, they're Dark Side.

Force Lightning is harnessed, as I've read, through concentrating hatred/anger/fear/jealousy/whatever. Obviously, a Jedi can't concentrate those, or he isn't a Jedi.

*Thwaps Bart*

Sorry, i just had to. No reason, really....

Even jedi have flashes of anger...it makes them sentient beings

Originally posted by Sorgo
Fools...

There's a chain or progress to determine morality of acts. Such as lightsabers, lightning, etc.

Intention or Motivation - Act - Consequence.

For an act to be morally permissable, the intent AND the act must be morally right (read: there can't be any moral ambiguity to it, it's either right -like healing someone- or wrong - like stealing, killing etc.-)

If you think that stealing can potentially be right (then you would be a subjectivist) then you could argue semantics and situations all day and never come to a moral standard with which to draw upon for judgment.

If you think stealing is always wrong (even when it seems prudent, life-threateningly neccessary, etc.) then you are a moral objectivist. And this formula will help you with any situations.

As for can Jedi do it, I may have missed someone's point, but I don't see any reason to support whether they can or cannot. But obviously the jedi didn't use it, and there is more likely than not a reason for it.

Discussions like this is why I have begun to believe the Jedi are weak. They empathize far too greatly. I'm not saying they should be slaughtered people left and right, but in battle they hold too much in themselves. In battle, all should be put aside from killing your opponent. They complicate battle with mercy, emotion, and empathy. There should be none of this in a fight, duel or otherwise. Odan-Urr, Kreia, and to some points Katarn had the best ideals.

But Jedi fight for a higher cause- they can trust and have associations and work in Balance. What you call weakness is also great strength, that the Dark Side can never overcome.

Definately. There are two kinds of people- those who fight for higher causes and those who seek tangible, worldly power. They are represented in the series by the Jedi and the Sith.

The other side can't see the strength nor the reason of their opponent. This is true for real life, which is why there is no one set standard for beliefs that people adhere to.

Originally posted by Se7in
Discussions like this is why I have begun to believe the Jedi are weak. They empathize far too greatly. I'm not saying they should be slaughtered people left and right, but in battle they hold too much in themselves. In battle, all should be put aside from killing your opponent. They complicate battle with mercy, emotion, and empathy. There should be none of this in a fight, duel or otherwise. Odan-Urr, Kreia, and to some points Katarn had the best ideals.

Then what would seperate them from the Sith? They'd become warriors focused on achieving their goals regardless of anything else. They'd be vigilantes. They'd be murderers. They'd cease to be guardians of peace and justice. . . they'd become enforcers.

I'm not surey they use lightsabers, except that it's some macho thing to do and GL thought it'd look cool. Seriously, they would better serve the peace if they were unarmed martial artist masters and learned how to deflect blaster bolts with a staff or with their hands. Lightsabers complicate the morality of the order anyways.

Originally posted by Deus Ex
I'm not surey they use lightsabers, except that it's some macho thing to do and GL thought it'd look cool. Seriously, they would better serve the peace if they were unarmed martial artist masters and learned how to deflect blaster bolts with a staff or with their hands. Lightsabers complicate the morality of the order anyways.

Lightsabers are used as a defensive weapon, like it or not without some kind of defense the Jedi are screwed.

Their well-being isn't the paramount goal, though. It's peace, balance, and harmony. By using deadly, destructive weapons they don't achieve harmony. They'd be better off honing nondeadly restraining powers. Or learning how to disarm enemies and even strip the Force from dark jedi and Sith. Fighting them on equal terms apparently solves nothing, and the Sith excel at saber combat and aggressive force powers.

Well tell me then honestly, how can they strip the force of the Dark Jedi and the Sith? They can't, and if they could and would do it a few times the Sith would find ways to block it. Simple as that.

Now then how are they going to defend themselves? Using the force alone, unless you are Yoda you don't stand a chance in hell of winning then. An average Sith could still kill a good Jedi.

Hand to hand fighting, against somebody with a lightsaber? No way in hell you are going to win.

Disarming? Well isn't that what they are supposed to do with the lightsaber, besides it has a few other functions besides killing as well. Few as they may be they are still there. Nothing would work as well as a weapon like that.

No, Deus, that's not the mood of what Star Wars are about. They are like noble knights, Paladins, or white-hat Wild West Marshalls, living in a Galaxy where the good has to be fought for- and they are the ones who do it.

Don't confuse SW philsophy with real world philosophy. GL sets the rules here.

Jedi fight and kill if they have to, and that does not contradict their philosophies.

You are thinking too practically. The Jedi Order are not shock troops or police; they are a religious order. Violence as a means to an end is a fault, not a strength. Now...

Well tell me then honestly, how can they strip the force of the Dark Jedi and the Sith? They can't, and if they could and would do it a few times the Sith would find ways to block it. Simple as that.

Ancient Jedi showed the ability to do this to offenders. Since the jedi already believe in capture, and this ability IS possible (and no, it was not blocked in the series thus far, so why should we assume it can be blocked?) it would make sense to strip potential dangers of the Force to -preserve- the balance.

Now then how are they going to defend themselves? Using the force alone, unless you are Yoda you don't stand a chance in hell of winning then. An average Sith could still kill a good Jedi.

The better question would be, "How can they defend OTHERS with a lightsaber?" The Jedi are better off thinking less of their battle readiness and more of how they can use the Force for good and can defend others, to uphold the jedi ideal. Winning a fight can still lose a war, you know.

Hand to hand fighting, against somebody with a lightsaber? No way in hell you are going to win.

Directly? Not likely. Battle is a last resort. And I did recommend staves. Staves are practical and less deadly than an energy blade that cuts through doors.

Disarming? Well isn't that what they are supposed to do with the lightsaber, besides it has a few other functions besides killing as well. Few as they may be they are still there. Nothing would work as well as a weapon like that.

What instances are there of jedi disarming opponents? Well, if the skill level is low enough, a few. But they sure as hell don't abide by it all the time. Mace Windu in particular killed plenty in Shatterpoint, as did Yoda when it came to -skewering- those Clone troopers. Even the head of the Order practices death when he sees fit. This isn't a solid ideology. It's flawed.

Perhaps it doesn't, Ush. But it still shows flaws in the system. A system which was eliminated.

And if anything, the OT was all about not killing people if you didn't have to. The PT became a saberfest with Yoda skewering clone troopers and leading armies. Really took a lot out of the series for me anyways.

Originally posted by Deus Ex
Definately. There are two kinds of people- those who fight for higher causes and those who seek tangible, worldly power. They are represented in the series by the Jedi and the Sith.

The other side can't see the strength nor the reason of their opponent. This is true for real life, which is why there is no one set standard for beliefs that people adhere to.

Curiously, in KOTOR 2, Kreia fights for a higher cause (the death of the Force) and yet is represented as dark ...

Edit: But I wanted to say also, Deus, that I think you and I see some of the same flaws. That the jedi meet violence with violence is very, very flawed indeed, as violence can never be brought to an end by attempting to counter it with more violence. Violence is, in truth, a tool of those who would spread the same.

And oddly enough, the movies and the EU both support this contention. Over thousands of years, what changes? Nothing. It's a neverending cycle of sith vs. jedi violence, with whole worlds being the victims.

The system would simply be re-instated. Just because the Jedi were defeated does not mean they were wrong. And what flaw? The Jedi HAVE to fight. The whole point is that someone has to.

I suppose you can look at it like that, yeah. Fighting when one has to is easily understandable. But paladins and white knights are supposed to uphold their ideals above all else. They're actually bound by their code, principles, and pride. They are virtually inflexible. Ideally, they would be pacifist. Since idealism is a dead line of thought, the next best thing would be what? Rigid code by which to live, right?

Ancient Jedi showed the ability to do this to offenders. Since the jedi already believe in capture, and this ability IS possible (and no, it was not blocked in the series thus far, so why should we assume it can be blocked?) it would make sense to strip potential dangers of the Force to -preserve- the balance.

Why? Because it would the ultimate technique and it would defeat everybody, if it could really do what you would claim then the Jedi would have learned it into perfection its the only logical thing to do.

The better question would be, "How can they defend OTHERS with a lightsaber?" The Jedi are better off thinking less of their battle readiness and more of how they can use the Force for good and can defend others, to uphold the jedi ideal. Winning a fight can still lose a war, you know.

Idealistic bullshit. There is no way the Jedi can stand up against a threat like the Sith without weapons. A lightsaber is the perfect weapon. Its quick its precise and it allows you to use none deadly attacks sometimes. A gun would never allow you to do that. Without weapons the Jedi would be dead.

Hand to hand fighting, against somebody with a lightsaber? No way in hell you are going to win.

They also identify you, are harder to use in certain area's, are harder to take with you and weigh more... Lightsaber is a better weapon, and you will less likely have to use it because you can hide it. Coming in somewhere with a weapon and you are going to fight faster.

Disarming? Well isn't that what they are supposed to do with the lightsaber, besides it has a few other functions besides killing as well. Few as they may be they are still there. Nothing would work as well as a weapon like that.

Dooku disarmed Obi Wan and Anakin twice. okay he was a Sith but he wanted them to live showing that it can be done. Mace disarmed Sidious then decided he wanted to kill him. Anakin disarmed Dooku then killed him but still it shows that it can be done. Its what Jedi are supposed to do.

Okay it wasn't done against the clones but the clones can't be left alive. Seriously you know this.

And like USH said, they are more like Crusaders then monks.