#but i fear that it comes across as condescending or prostelyzing anyway orz

[gffa]

I am here to concede my point that I believed the Jedi had the power to take force sensitive infants (which was a good thing for them). The recently released High Republic Chronicles of the Jedi says "Jedi recruits must be given up willingly". On an earlier page it also says "Though an emotional moment for parents, offering up a Force-sensetive child to the Jedi Order is considered a great honor to most cultures. This honor extends beyond the borders of the Republic, for even nonmember planets recognize the profound opportunity a child will have by joining the Jedi." This suggests to me that during the prequel era when the Jedi's reputation wasn't as good, there were more refusals. That makes Cal's destruction of the holocron recording their locations quite important.

My condolences on having to concede a point, that always sucks. In our own world, it would make sense, because there are going to be instances of varying circumstances that might need interference, but within a fictional world, thematic elements are more important so they can get away with rules like this. And I think, for me, it's always made sense thematically--our first introduction to the idea of Jedi adoption is them telling a very powerful child no, they don't think it's a good idea to train him. In the TV show, they have a list of known Force-sensitives that they're aware of, but aren't at the Temple. We see them rescue a known Force-sensitive little Gungan girl and hand her back to her mother, calling her the mother's daughter, not a future Jedi. When the Bardottens say to stop coming there, they stop coming there, saying they're not kidnappers. It's not impossible to weave these together with the idea that the Jedi would have had the authority to override a parent's decision, but for a fictional world that is heavily reliant on themes, it's always made more sense to me that the Jedi would have the rule that parental approval is must for them. Like with how the Jedi generally have internal authority over their own business, but when it comes to the galactic public, they very much do not. That's a huge point of the whole mess with Ahsoka, that that's how they get the Jedi, by pointing out that members of the Republic have been hurt here, so the Jedi can't say this is an internal affair. It makes sense to me that their adoption process, which involves members of the Republic that aren't Jedi, would have to have permission. And I think it must be that they don't go around auto-testing children for midichlorian levels, either, because otherwise they'd have said, "Let's check the list of known Force-sensitives while we're looking for the Sith Lord" when trying to track him down after TMP. At the end of the day, I think the Jedi's being entwined with the Republic the way they are and their own boundaries on respecting others' wishes makes thematic sense and you know Star Wars, they love their themes over whatever might me more realistic for our world!