This conversation occurred this morning in my man-room with my buddy David. The more I think about it, the more I hate George Lucas.

Similarities between Star Wars and Europe’s Dark Ages:

-Before the Catholic Church rose to power, Europe was developing rapidly in areas of technology, science, culture, and economy.
-Before the Empire rose to power, the Galaxy was thriving economically, technologically, scientifically, and culturally.

-The Catholic Church wiped out the Cathars, a religious sect that followed a different set of religious ethics than the Pope.
-The Empire wiped out the Jedi, a religious sect that followed a different set of ethics than those set out by the Emperor.

-In order to keep themselves in power, the Catholic Church, led and empowered by the Pope, decreed that anyone who followed a different religion would be “cleansed” through the Spanish inquisition.
-In order to keep themselves in power, the Empire, led and empowered by the Emperor, declared that all Jedi and Jedi sympathizers were enemies of the state and sent out Darth Vader to “purge” them.

-After the Catholic Church rose to power and wiped out their opponents, technology, science, economy, and culture were oppressed, leading to much grumbling and dissent.
-After the Empire rose to power and wiped out the Jedi Order, technology, science, economy, and culture were oppressed, leading to the formation of the Rebel Alliance.

-With the rise of the Protestant religion, the Church lost a great deal of power, and the renaissance was ushered in, bringing back science, culture, and other lost advances.
-With the death of the Emperor and the disbanding of the Empire, Culture, Science, and other advances returned.

Coincidence? Or was George Lucas really that strapped for ideas?