> > Uh, except that these are the same issue. There's a scene when Qui-Gonn mentions to Obi-Wan that he thinks Anakin was "created" by the midichlorians themselves.
>
> Right, but the idea of midichlorians is bad. The idea of Anakin's virgin birth is not. In the same way that using midichlorians to explain the Force is a horrendously bad idea, so is using midichlorians to explain his virgin birth. But that's a separate issue from the idea of the virgin birth on its own. These separate and distinct ideas were employed in the movie by relating the two together, but I maintain that only one of them is actually a bad idea.

I've only seen the movie twice, but I did not understand the midichlorians to actually be the Force. If I remember correctly, they were microscopic symbiants that allowed people to feel or use the Force. To what degree was determined by the number present in the body, hence the blood-test. I didn't find Lucas' use of the midichlorians that appalling, but then again I was somewhat prepared for it. I had heard that Lucas would reveal that the Force had something to do with microscopic organisms a few years back. It had to be either '93 or '94 since it was my boss at my last job that told me about it, and I left that company in '94.

I'd love to write more, but I'm leaving now to see another fine piece of cinematic effort...South Park. While I'm on the subject, if anyone out there hasn't seen "American Pie" yet, go see it. It's juvenile, gross, and wildly funny!

Kel"my midichlorian count is off the charts"ly