UK census - Jedi still seventh most popular religion

[Smivs]

Yep, the Force is strong in the UK, and it's nice to see my adopted hometown of Nottingham has a high percentage, with up to 1% of my neighbours being fellow Jedi.

[jacksy]

I bet I am the only one in Hull

[Cody]

I found the whole Jedi Knight/census thing rather sad at the time - my opinion hasn't changed!

[Selezen]

I find the whole religion thing quite sad.

Oops, there's Selezen being controversial again.

Yeah, the Jedi thing was quite sad in itself, but it was a pretty impressive achievement. It scores higher than Scientology, I believe!

Take that, Tom Cruise!

[drew]

I found the whole Jedi Knight/census thing rather sad at the time - my opinion hasn't changed!

Sad as in depressing, or sad as in stupid?

Cheers,

Drew.

[Cody]

I found the whole Jedi Knight/census thing rather sad at the time - my opinion hasn't changed!

Sad as in depressing, or sad as in stupid?

Both, really! But I'll say no more!

[jacksy]

I found the whole Jedi Knight/census thing rather sad at the time - my opinion hasn't changed!

Sad as in depressing, or sad as in stupid?

Both, really! But I'll say no more!

What a miserable pair you are

[CommRLock78]

I find the whole religion thing quite sad.

Oops, there's Selezen being controversial again.

Yeah, the Jedi thing was quite sad in itself, but it was a pretty impressive achievement. It scores higher than Scientology, I believe!

Take that, Tom Cruise!

Indeed all religion is quite sad - the cause of more violence, bigotry, and war than perhaps any other subject.

"You see that guy over there with an almost identical religion? I wanna kill him because my God is all about love."

[Tichy]

Is there somewhere a table with extended results? I'm curious about other religions. Mainy the parodistic ones, like pastafarianism... and discordianism

[Rese249er]

Yeah, the Jedi thing was quite sad in itself...

Indeed all religion is quite sad - the cause of more violence, bigotry, and war than perhaps any other subject.

"You see that guy over there with an almost identical religion? I wanna kill him because my God is all about love."

I think the saddest part of it all is that the Jedi "religion" is based on legitimate religions that people don't subscribe to. The Tao, Shinto, Buddhism...
At least Jedi aren't gonna start a war. That's assuming the Sith are separate...

[Smivs]

...the Jedi "religion" is based on legitimate religions that people don't subscribe to. The Tao, Shinto, Buddhism...

The 'good' news is that there are actually more Buddhists in the UK than Jedis so things ain't too bad.

[Selezen]

I think the saddest part of it all is that the Jedi "religion" is based on legitimate religions that people don't subscribe to. The Tao, Shinto, Buddhism...

I don't think Tao and Shinto are actually religions in their own rights - I think they are concepts and mythologies upon which religions have been based. Buddhism in particular embraces the Tao, if I remember correctly.

Lucas always said that the Jedi order was based on the principles of Buddhism and the more Oriental religions, but took on other aspects as the concept was developed.

Any religion is essentially a set of core values to live by and some practices to adopt in following it. Fundamentally, most religions are based on "live together in harmony, try to be the best person you can be and try not to be an ass".

Sadly these basic ideas tend to be corrupted by self-serving people who are out for what they can get, which is why a lot of the current religions have become what they are.

The Catholic Church, for example - some people (me included) are of the belief that the Catholic Church is the remnant of the Holy Roman Empire. The Emperors saw what was coming and decided to take the "Holy" part of the name seriously and became the Catholic church. Pope=Emperor, Cardinals = Senators etc. OK, they reduced their political power, but they still dominate the thinking of a good part of the world AND get a shed load of wealth into the bargain. And they still have a seat in Rome.

It's a shame, really. So much pain and suffering has happened in the name of religion. That's why I stay out of it (along with the lack of belief in a higher power or heaven or any of that stuff). Crusades, Jihad, call it what you will, it's just a variety of names for being shitty to one another in the name of religion. All Jedi do is sit at home making lightsaber noises and pretending to have asthma.

[CaptSolo]

All Jedi do is sit at home making lightsaber noises and pretending to have asthma.

Very good, Selezen. So Sith wasn't listed as a choice? Just wondering what they would do.

[Steve]

It's a shame, really. So much pain and suffering has happened in the name of religion.

True, but I think if religion disappeared overnight some people would still find reasons to hate each other, whether it's because of race, tribe, nationality, political ideology or football team

[Selezen]

True, such is the nature of the beast. We're all basically animals, and I respect the people who have built a way to try and make the veneer of civilisation a bit thicker. The trouble comes when that idea is corrupted, and sadly religion is a prime example of that.

At least football acknowledges its role in people being shitty to each other, but the church is hypocritical enough to espouse values of piety, goodwill and awesomeness whilst brushing the holy wars under the carpet.