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Canadian Census: 20,000 Jedi Worshippers

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the liar-liar-pants-on-fire dept.

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."

18 of 455 comments (clear)

  1. Just Wondering by dirkdidit · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There's not an organized society for the Jedi religion like there is for other larger religions is there???

    1. Re:Just Wondering by swordboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There's not an organized society for the Jedi religion like there is for other larger religions is there???

      I would imagine that some enterprising individuals will take advantage sooner or later. At least here in the United States, a religion gets tax-free benefits. Wouldn't it be cool if someone organized a religion and then created a business underworld to avoid the government ala scientology?

      For example,

      A business could hire a Jedi employee. But instead of paying him/her with US currency, they could be paid in Jedi Dollars - JD (insert creative currency name here). The JD's could then be spent at any participating Jedi establishment - merely tax free. If so inclined, the Jedi could ask the employer to pay in a portion of taxable US dollars or the employee could trade them at market rate.

      The opportunity is endless. When someone does implement it, I sure hope that they aren't as crooked as those fucking scientologists.

      --

      Life is the leading cause of death in America.
  2. hmmm... by jeffy124 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    (standard disclaimer: IANAL)

    I know in the US someone can register for religious recognition if they have something like 100 followers. (i dont know the exact number) The application can be accepted as long as no animal or person is sacrificed or otherwise eliminated as part of the religion's practice. Other requirements probably have to be met, but I do know that religious killings are a no-no.

    Canada probably has something similar. Maybe someone should consider institutionalizing the Jedi religion and filing the proper paperwork.

    --
    The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
  3. Religion Question? by mharris007 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Which brings up a question; Should Religion be a question on a national census form?

    If people are getting offended by the race question on the U.S. census form, I can just imagine the number of people that are going to get pissed off by a religion question.

    --


    ---
    Mike
    I'm going to kick the next person that I see with their karma rating in their sig.
    1. Re:Religion Question? by RestiffBard · · Score: 5, Interesting

      For the people that are going to say its no one's business about this or that or how many toilets they have and so forth allow me a moment. First off, the toilet question was a real question from the 2000 US Census.

      Now, before people get up in arms there are legitimate reasons for wanting this data. And they in no way harm any citizen. They are designed to help citizens.

      For instance, the Marklar race respond that on average they earn 12,000 a year and have no indoor toilet. This lets the government know 1. Marklars may not be getting the racial equality that in the US should be mandatory. 2. Marklars are not properly being serviced by their government. This is rudimentary but you get the idea (i hope).

      as for the questions, a curious thing happened in 2000. people complained about the questions, race, toilets, salary etc... Trent Lott, then Senate Majority Leader said that if people didn't want to answer the questions then the Census had no right to compel people to do so.

      Here's the funny part. 1. the Census is meant only to count heads. 2. the other questions on the Census are tacked on by Congress 3. Congress in fact gives the Census the mandate to compel people to answer. 4. Trent Lott is an obvious asshat.

      Finally for all of you clever people that thought the Census wouldn't count you if you closed the blinds when ever an enumerator came by you're wrong. Enumerators, towards the end of the Census would park at the end of your street and count people entering and leaving. How many cars in the driveway? How many people-size shadows behind the curtains? They would make an educated guess at the number and put that down.

      Where is the 2000 Census data now? Arizona. In a big vault for the most part.

      How do I know? That's where I Fed-Exed it. I was a Census Clerk for 2000. No, I really didn't care what you wrote down.

      By the way, James Weatherby of 3247 Main St. has 5 bathrooms.

      --
      - /* dead coders leave no comments */
    2. Re:Religion Question? by soul_cmd · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well acording to the Jargon File (referenced at dict.org) agnostic is a religion.

      Religion

      Agnostic. Atheist. Non-observant Jewish. Neo-pagan. Very commonly, three or more of these are combined in the same person. Conventional faith-holding Christianity is rare though not unknown.

      Even hackers who identify with a religious affiliation tend to be relaxed about it, hostile to organized religion in general and all forms of
      religious bigotry in particular. Many enjoy parody' religions such as Discordianism and the Church of the SubGenius.

      Also, many hackers are influenced to varying degrees by Zen Buddhism or (less commonly) Taoism, and blend them easily with their `native'
      religions.

      There is a definite strain of mystical, almost Gnostic sensibility that shows up even among those hackers not actively involved with neo-paganism, Discordianism, or Zen. Hacker folklore that pays homage to `wizards' and speaks of incantations and demons has too much psychological truthfulness about it to be entirely a joke.

      Though, for real definitions:
      Strictness of fidelity in conforming to any practice, as if it were an enjoined rule of conduct.

      The outward act or form by which men indicate their recognition of the existence of a god or of gods having power over their destiny, to whom obedience, service, and honor are due; the feeling or expression of human love, fear, or awe of some superhuman and overruling power, whether by profession of belief, by observance of rites and ceremonies, or by the conduct of life; a system of faith and worship; a manifestation of piety; as, ethical religions; monotheistic religions; natural religion; revealed religion; the religion of the Jews; the religion of idol worshipers.

      I suppose it just depends on your viewpoint.

    3. Re:Religion Question? by franimal · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually, I received a census form a few months back and after reading the "You are required by law to truthfully complete this survey" statement, I decided to give them a call. Guess what. That religious and race data gets used. It's available to all those congress men and women just itching to do a little social engineering and earmark funds for their various flavors of constituents. For instance, the woman I talked to indicated something along the lines of "I there is an area with a high race concentration that has difficulties they may be elligible for special funding."

      The good thing is that she also indicated that it'd be acceptable if I entered 'DECLINED' in the objectionable boxes. Even though it's really not optional ... they'd prefer that to a lie or the bother of fines/legal action.

      The really bad thing is that this data gets used and it's likely not even right! How many people intentionally enter false data? The really infuriating thing is that this data, perhaps incorrect, is used to collect information on social engineering programs like affirmative action. Yes, it makes sense. But it still drives me nuts.

    4. Re:Religion Question? by ajs · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The one that really gets me is when the option of Aetheist is listed as a religion

      In that sense, Atheist is being used as a "none of the above", which is a more valid use than some I've seen.

      Is atheism a religion? I'm willing to roughly define religion as "a belief system, generaly characterized by the personification of natural forces, worship of same and a system of ritual." In that sense no, atheism is not a religion.

      On the other hand, if you simply defined it as, "a set of beliefs concerning a system of one or more deities," then yes, atheism is a religion, at least as practiced by some.

      I have a friend, for example who has what I would characterize as a "deep and irrational faith" in the non-existance of all gods and the evils of all religion. This is his core faith in the way the universe works, and I can't really make a strong distinction between that and believing that the Post Office box down the street created the universe in 22 nanoseconds out of the belly-button lint of Winston Churchill.

      I, on the other hand am a strict agnostic. I have reached what I consider to be one of only three rational conclusions about religion: that we currently have no conclusive proof that there are any deities, and even if George Burns poped into my living room today and whisked my off to a distant galaxy to show me wonders beyond my imagining, I would still have no proof of anything but a George Burns-looking guy with some amazing abilities (at least to make me see cool stuff, if not actually manifest cool stuff) and a god-complex.

      The other two rational conclusions are a) Pascal was a jerk for pointing it out, but he was right... choose a religion based on the degree of the negative outcome it predicts and hope you're right (note, such people are still technically agnostic in my book) and b) There are more important things to wory about. Enjoy the sun-rise and then get back to work.

      FWIW: When I was about 10, I realized that I was an atheist (I didn't know the term agnostic, much less "strict agnostic" at the time), and in thinking about what that meant I was perhaps more terrified than I have ever been. It's a big deal for a 10 year old to have to face the insignificance of his own existance all at once, but I got over it and decided that I wanted to enjoy it while it lasted anyway.

      I've since refined my sense of ethics based, not on fear of reprisals by a deity, but on the drives that I have in terms of a comfortable society of tolerant peers. Woefully there are too many folks in the world who will never introspect to that degree. For them, religion seems a fair way to deliver a moral and ethical outlook that they'll never have the inclination to generate for themselves.

    5. Re:Religion Question? by CharlieG · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I know that communities get funding from the Feds - and THAT is part of what I'm complaining about - it's NONE of the Federal Governments business - hense me reference to "the switch in time that saved nine" - The USSC was going to rule that much of FDRs "New deal" was an illegal upsurpation of State/local rights, and FDR let the USSC know that although he could not impeach them, if they DID rule against him, there was no law saying that the USSC had to only have 9 justices, and he would appoint enough new justices to allow the new deal to pass - The USSC changed their mind. It's the whole process of the erosion of States Rights via 2 main clauses - "General welfare" and "Interstate Commerce" - In fact, there had been NO rulings against the Federal Government expanding based upon "Interstate Commerce" until about 10 years ago. It was a BIG deal when the USSC finally said "No" Heck, there are laws on the books that have been upheald beacuse the wheat a farmer COULD grow COULD be entered into interstate commerce - and if THAT isn't a stretch...

      --
      -- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
  4. Whos to say they arent jedi? by Unknown+Poltroon · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Is the Gvt of canada now deciding the name one can use to descrbe ones religion? I'm a discordian. It is the best description, and closest philospy that describes my worldview. Are they going to give me a hard time because thats not an approved/accepatable religion?

    To put it bluntly, fuck off. You left that part of the form as fill in the blank. If you dont like my answer, maybe you shouldnt be asking the question.

    --
    All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
  5. What angers me... by Davak · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What angers me is that everybody assumes that these people do not actually Worship jedi!

    Articles and films already exist regarding this spiritual movement.

    Plus, we already admit that other such religions exist:

    - Star Trek - Leonard Nimoy Should Eat More Salsa Foundation

    - Hicks - Love thy Mullet

    - Plastic surgery - Cosmetics for the holy

    Anyway...

    Davak

  6. Dodgy reporting? by gwernol · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So if as the article claims:

    "Statistics Canada didn't report the number of people who responded Jedi in tables listing response rates for other religions, saying that their analysis did not include the "media-driven'' response, in part because the sample was so small. However, statisticians did when asked produce tables showing a much smaller number of Rastafarians, Scientologists and Satanists."

    How do they know that 20,000 Canadians declared themselves to be Jedi? Could it be (gasp) just a number that the web site made up so it could write a story about the NZ and UK census returns?

    --
    Sailing over the event horizon
  7. Why the h8? by ehiris · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I mean really, I thought that Star Wars Episode II was very good. The only problem was Jar Jar appeared for a little but at least he was calmed down quick.
    The weapons were cool, the clone factory was cool, the fights were cool so why all the h8?

  8. Its a JOKE! (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Most of the 20,000 jedi 'worshippers' you might happen to notice, reside in British Columbia. This is because a local morning show on the radio, Larry and Willy on CFOX, asked their listeners to fill out the jedi option on the census when it came around if they happened to get one of the extended forms.

    They thought at the time that if they got 10,000 people the government was legally obliged to recongize it as a real religion. Turns out its not true but this years results show the power of a pair of funny as hell radio hosts!

  9. Jedi rights. by Recovery1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was listening to the radio the other day with a commentary by a radio host. He was referring to the fact that in this country, minority groups seem to have more rights and privledges then the rest of us. Examples that come to mind are the french. They are a big minority in Canada now ( think Chinese is now the second most populous language spoken here now), yet everything has to be labelled to satisfy french speakers. Native Americans have tax breaks, and so on.

    If I was one of the Jedi religion (which I admit I labelled my religion as "none of your business") I would start making as much noise as these other minoity groups. At the very least you can get laws made to wear your uniform and a lightsaber to work.

  10. where do they find teachers? by dorjelorand · · Score: 3, Interesting

    OK, I'm late enough that probably no one will see this comment, let alone mod it up, but what the heck ...

    In the Star Wars movies, the method for becoming a Jedi was to meet one and train under him (or her?). How does anyone outside of the movies do this? Have you ever met an actual Jedi Master?

    I am both a disciple and a teacher in one of the traditions Lucas imitated when he wrote ANH. For the record, Kadampa Buddhism, which was practiced in Tibet until recently. If someone comes up to me and tells me they are a Kadampa, but they have never met a Kadampa before and have never received teachings directly, I know they are mistaken. This is a tradition that must be passed on person-to-person. I always thought Jedi was too.

    Or maybe I'm just taking this way too seriously ...

    Wangden

    --
    -- "You're not fooling me, young man - it's turtles all the way down!"
  11. The force is strong with this one... by Charcharodon · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Why not, when every I fill out all the "mandatory" information I purposely put in erroneous info, because it's none of their damn business. There's got to be a couple of hundred profiles out their on me.

    I'm anywhere from 11 to 80 years of age, with my birthday falling between Jan 1 and Dec 30, and tend to make over $100,000 every year as an unemployed home maker that specializes in a technical career field. I am of multiple genders, races, and religions. I always live at 1234 Somewhere Ave. My phone number is 911-123-4567 feel free to call day or night. Now of course if it's for something important like pre-ordering Star Wars Galaxies (ok so I'm a nerd get over it), I tend to be honest enough with my info to get my credit card approved, but nothing more.

  12. Religion as entertainment... by DrCode · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I agree that it sounds fairly goofy that people are claiming to follow the Jedi 'religion'. But I've thought that it's possible that other, mainstream, religions may have started in similar ways.

    Look at the Greek 'myths'; they're really good stories. Maybe they started purely as stories, and that it was only over several generations that people started to accept them as real.