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Canadian Census: 20,000 Jedi Worshippers
Lev13than writes "Canada.com is reporting that some 20,000 Canadians listed "Jedi" as their religion in the last national census (2001). Apparently this is the offshoot of an Internet joke which originated in Australia a few years back. The results are interesting on a couple of levels. While it show that some people may have too much time on their hands, it also raises questions of privacy rights, Internet activism and data integrity. Although it's not statistically significant given Canada's population of 31.5 million, 20,000 lightsabre-wielding census-takers is nothing to sneeze at. StatsCan's full report (with no mention of Jedis) can be found here."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/new_me
The US government is Constitutionally prohibited from sanctioning any state religion. In recent decades that has been bastardized into not recognizing any religion.
Others responding to you seem to be confusing IRS not-for-profit status with religion. They are not the same. The Catholic Church and the NAACP both enjoy not-for-profit status, but the latter is not a religion even though they both have the same tax status.
BTW, not-for-profit != "non-profit", the former is a tax status (more precisely a not-federally-and-other-places-taxed status) and the latter means you do not make a profit. Yes, there is a huge reality difference and a small technical difference.
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
It actually "originated" in New Zealand, in the March 2001 census (cf August in Australia)... I remember cause I did it myself in the NZ census which was the first in the world dangit.
Though I hear the actual email which started the whole thing may have come from the UK, not sure which.
This is Russell Crowe all over again.. when he's winning oscars he's an Australian... but when he's getting totally pissed and trying (and failing) to beat the crap out of some guy he's a Kiwi... *Sigh*
Regards,
A disgruntled New Zealander
When I first read about this phenomonon, I thought it sounded familiar to something some prankster did many years ago. Now, in this Age of Google, I have found the original article.
The article deals with the propogation of "memes" -- infectious ideas that take on a life of their own (e.g. "All your base..."). It discusses in particular how the author faced what he thought was a rather impudent question on his college admission form -- asking for his religion -- and, with his cheeky response, inadvertently started a meme. It also discusses how the meme was extinguished by the college administration.
The religious meme thing is about one-third of the way down, but I recommend reading the whole article. It's a good read.
Schwab
Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
The US government is Constitutionally prohibited from sanctioning any state religion. In recent decades that has been bastardized into not recognizing any religion.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." Seems pretty straight forward to me.
If you are interested in athiesm, here's a better definition.
What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
I live in Canada, and it is a little known fact (even among Canadians) that failing to answer a Stats Can survey can net you a lengthy jail term. Don't believe me?
From the statistics act: http://www.statcan.ca/english/about/statact.htm
False or unlawful information
31. Every person who, without lawful excuse,
(a) refuses or neglects to answer, or wilfully answers falsely, any question requisite for obtaining any information sought in respect of the objects of this Act or pertinent thereto that has been asked of him by any person employed or deemed to be employed under this Act, or
(b) refuses or neglects to furnish any information or to fill in to the best of his knowledge and belief any schedule or form that the person has been required to fill in, and to return the same when and as required of him pursuant to this Act, or knowingly gives false or misleading information or practises any other deception thereunder
is, for every refusal or neglect, or false answer or deception, guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both. 1970-71-72, c. 15, s. 29.
I think this was a subtle form of protest. You should see the stuff I told them the last time they chose me. My NYT mandatory registration lists me as a 13 year old lawyer from Afghanistan who makes USD $150,000 a year. Let's see what the marketing Noobs make of that one, LOL... And I resent the government doing this sort of thing even more. BTW, even though they don't identify individuals, localized statistical data is available right down to your postal code, which is a tax subsidized godsend to direct marketing agencies.
My rights don't need management.
England reports 390,000
7
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=29
I really wanted to put Jedi down on my Census, but the I had heard rumours that the UK government were going to fine people who put religion as Jedi so I chickened out.
:
;)
As it turns out, the only part of the census the government can't fine you for is the religion option... as this snippet from a 2001 Register article says here
We spoke to the Home Office - which was not overly entertained especially since the Census is supposed to be deadly serious. However the Home Office would not say what constituted a religion and we subsequently discovered that while you can be heavily fined for putting down false details on a census form, it does not apply to the religion question.
Ah well... I think 400,000 was more than enough anyway
"Hey! Unless this is a nude love-in, get the hell off my property!!"
That's merely advertising. Do you believe everything that is advertised?
But hey, if it does seem to work out for some people, more power to them. But not me. Oh no. I'll stop before I get off topic... mmm... I'm already off topic... drat...
The most significant element of this release, and the greatest hope I have for my country, is that the people who report "no-religion" exploded from 12% to 16%, making "no-religion" the 2nd largest group (RC was mid40s).
see here for a synopsis @ statcan
http://www.jediism.org/
I suppose that makes them legit.
Republicans are idiots.