Frequently Asked Questions

• Is this real?

Yes! We are a real religious organization with real beliefs.  We are not a group of people engaging in any sort of online game and we are not role-playing!

• What does "Sith" mean?  Haven't I heard that word before?

• So, is "Sith" something George Lucas made up for the Star Wars films?

Yes and no.  George Lucas created one of the most recognizable villains in movie history - Darth Vader.  Darth Vader was a member of an evil empire and was refered to as a "Dark Lord of the Sith" in the script and novel from the first Star Wars movie - however, this reference never made it to the 1977 film.  The word "sith" was not officially used on film to describe Vader and his ilk until The Phantom Menace which was released in 1999.

Interestingly, Lucas was not the first to use the word in fiction or in the Sci-Fi genre: it was also the name of a type of giant insect in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels (1912-1943) and - most interestingly - the term "Sith-Lord" was used to describe a villain named Rruothk'ar in an issue of the comicbook Star-Lord, published by Marvel Comics in 1976.

• Did you base your beliefs on a work of fiction?

To be quite honest, we believe that all religions - in one way or another - are based on works of fiction.  However, we must stress that our beliefs are not wholly based on any single work of fiction.

• You keep referencing your "beliefs" .  What exactly do you believe?

In a nutshell, we believe that "Darkness" - both physical Darkness (for instance, the Dark of night) and the metaphorical Darkness within the us all - is not a negative thing but rather an often misunderstood force of nature.  We embrace a Darker aesthetic in honor of this truth.  In addition, we feel that the origin of our growth and empowerment as human beings comes from within.  We look inward to our own emotions and passions for guidance and empowerment.  Our emotions and passions (including what some consider "Dark" or "negative" feelings) play a great part in who we are and we should not deny or be ashamed of them - they are part of our nature.

• Is there any foundation for your beliefs in any mainstream religions?

Our idea of embracing human passions rather than denying them is fairly unique among mainstream religions.  Most instead focus on guilt and redemption from outside sources regarding these specifically human things.  However, numerous holy texts and tenets from around the world do refer to Darkness in one form or another.  We have found that because of this, our beliefs are not necessarily mutually-exclusive to many more formal religions and can actually be practiced alongside them.

• Do you worship a specific deity?

As a group, we do not worship deities but rather simply embrace the idea and the metaphor of Darkness wholeheartedly.  However, since our ideology can blend with other belief systems and religions, those among our numbers with an inclination toward theism find many deities worldwide that are representative of Darkness to reference in their worship.

• What holidays do you celebrate?

Our highest holiday corresponds with the Pagan holiday of Samhain, the Catholic All Saints' Day, or the modern holiday of Halloween - October 31. This day marks the beginning of the Dark Half of the year (the end of the season of growth) - as such, it is our "New Year".  We also note that the Winter Solstice (Yule, near Christmas and Hanukkah) is the longest night of the year and so is revered as The Day of Most Darkness. Walpurgis Night (April 30) is also held dear to us because it commemorates the end of the Dark Half of the year. Other days of interest include the last Thursday in July (our annual Sith Feast Day - "Turkey in July"), and each disciples own birthday!

• Are you Evil?

Selfish and lazy sometimes, maybe - but not Evil!

All joking aside, Darkness and Evil are two concepts that tend to be linked in most people's minds, but are in fact two very different and distinct ideas. Something can be very sweet in appearance but also be very despicable. Coversely, something that appears very menacing can infact be perfectly innocent.

• Are you Satanists?

No.  Though the Christian devil has been refered to as the "Prince of Darkness", this stems moreso from fears equating Darkness with Evil and not from our beliefs. We do have some ideas regarding the non-supression of human passions as well as a general disdain of the hypocracy of some modern religion that is shared by certain groups that call themselves Satanists - but we do not as a group worship any sort of Satanic deity or perform any sort of Satanic rituals or rites.

• Are you Gothic?

We are not as a group part of the "Goth" trend that has sprung up in recent years, though because we share a similar aesthetic, our beliefs are not mutually exclusive. The "Gothic" taste for Dark, atmospheric music, dress and attitude endears us to them but also strikes us as a bit cliche at times.  Many of our number are commonly mistaken as "Goths" - particularly our ministers who dress in all black (see below).

• What sort of religious requirements do you have?

Unlike many other religions, we ask very little of our followers.  We do not require regular attendance of services or monetary donations and we have no specific medical or dietary laws.

The highest ranking members of our ministry wear all-black clothing to physically show their connection to our beliefs.  Though this is technically a requirement, our clergy members would as a rule typically adhere to this practice anyway!

• What does 'Tenebrae Fideles Vocat' mean?

It is a Latin phrase meaning "Darkness Calls The Faithful".  We feel that we have been called to our ministry.  As such, we spread its word as far as we can!