The Blowhard
02-13-2003, 08:26 AM
Jedis Become a Force to Be Counted
LONDON (Reuters) - It's official -- "Star Wars" has created almost 400,000 Jedis in Britain.
Over 390,000 people wrote "Jedi" on their 2001 census form, more than those who registered their faith as Jewish, Buddhist or Sikh in the optional question on religion, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Thursday.
The Jedis declared their belief after a campaign on the Internet asked people to "do it because you love Star Wars" or "just to annoy people."
"Star Wars devotees stated their faith as 'Jedi' in the mistaken belief that if 10,000 did so it would be recognized as an official religion," a spokesman for the ONS said.
The census question on religion offered a series of tick-boxes for the major religions in the UK, including a free space for "any other religion."
In the films, the Jedi knights are a noble order of protectors unified by their belief in a universal power called the Force.
LONDON (Reuters) - It's official -- "Star Wars" has created almost 400,000 Jedis in Britain.
Over 390,000 people wrote "Jedi" on their 2001 census form, more than those who registered their faith as Jewish, Buddhist or Sikh in the optional question on religion, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Thursday.
The Jedis declared their belief after a campaign on the Internet asked people to "do it because you love Star Wars" or "just to annoy people."
"Star Wars devotees stated their faith as 'Jedi' in the mistaken belief that if 10,000 did so it would be recognized as an official religion," a spokesman for the ONS said.
The census question on religion offered a series of tick-boxes for the major religions in the UK, including a free space for "any other religion."
In the films, the Jedi knights are a noble order of protectors unified by their belief in a universal power called the Force.