UK Atheists Hope to Eliminate Jedi Population

[icaritos]

It seems definitive, Atheists can't take a joke.

Jedi ftw.

I think the ones making the joke here are mostly Atheists. It doesn't matter what your belief is, there will always be uptight assholes. Also come the census, I'm a Jedi.

 

[ZakCanard]

I remember putting Jedi down last year, I think this time I'll go Pastafarian.

 

[Ghengis John]

*sigh*
I hope you all know that some poltical party's base their campainges on the info the census gives out.

I've yet to see a politician promising a ban on clone troopers.

 

[Silent Biohazard Solid]

Man, I bet Luke Skywalker wished he could just put, "Jedi" on a census and have it automatically make him a "Jedi." But he had to earn it. If you wanna put Jedi on the census, then why don't you lift a spaceship out of a swamp with your mind first?

 

[Flying Dagger]

a vote for jedi always was a vote for absolutely not caring, all these guys want to do is claim a higher number of militant, in your face, atheists then the already inflated count shows.

 

[Light 086]

Screw the jedi, I'm going with the flying spaghetti monster.

What!?!? It's a religion.

* We believe pirates, the original Pastafarians, were peaceful explorers and it was due to Christian misinformation that they have an image of outcast criminals today
* We are fond of beer
* Every Friday is a Religious Holiday
* We do not take ourselves too seriously
* We embrace contradictions (though in that we are hardly unique)

 

[wildcard9]

They're right. Taking the piss is funny up to a point, but botching an attempt at furthering secularization is taking it a bit far.
You will not be able to excise the cancer of religion by laughing at it, that's for sure.

...and you won't get anywhere by comparing religion to a deadly disease. As a non-practicing Christian I firmly believe in the Trinity and Jesus as my savior, but I'm not ready to make the commitment just yet. Despite that, I know better than marginalizing or belittling someone else's beliefs because you won't get anywhere doing that. All individuals, religious or not, react to hostility to their beliefs; some better than others.

Honestly, I think it's a combination of geek culture shock and hostility. Unlike organized religion who have the means and the representation to effectively stand against this kind of bullying, "Jedi" as a religion is a new one and thus an easy target. This so-called secular organization that wants to further the cause of humanity in the name of secularism and atheism aren't altruists, they're bullies, plain and simple.

 

[The_Yeti]

Topic title implies genocide. As an atheist im deeply offended :S

Pi-shaw! no self respecting non-god fellow would ignorantly consider themselves defined by a word that is simply religious slander against the non-believers!

But to the topic, this is definitely hilarious, and no government should have any ties to what religion one chooses.

Not that, that stops even the o-so "free" america from labeling money, doctrines, and speeches full of religious phrases, and prayer so asininely.

But comedians have said it better, unrestricted liberty doesn't exist in a governed society.(Mostly because of the governing part. >.>)

 

[The_Yeti]

Topic title implies genocide. As an atheist im deeply offended :S

Pi-shaw! no self respecting non-god fellow would ignorantly consider themselves defined by a word that is simply religious slander against the non-believers!

But to the topic, this is definitely hilarious, and no government should have any ties to what religion one chooses.

Not that, that stops even the o-so "free" america from labeling money, doctrines, and speeches full of religious phrases, and prayer so asininely.

But comedians have said it better, unrestricted liberty doesn't exist in a governed society.(Mostly because of the governing part. >.>)

if this double posts, blame the ultralaggy forum for the past 10-20 minutes for no reason.

 

[bluepilot]

With all of the public sector cuts, increases in university funding for students next year, banks not paying their fair share of tax, and the MP still keeping their fingers in the expenses cookie jar...

Messing with the census is the only thing left to keep me sane until the next election.

I am going to embrace any form of anarchy I can (without getting arrested..which is kind of besides the point)

 

[Slycne]

I'm am disappointed that no one has yet to point out that you can't spell Atheists with out Sith. Coincidence?

I'm not so sure what to do with the A--e--ts though...

Sith Seat
Sith Eats
Sith Ates
East Sith
Sith Teas

 

[emeraldrafael]

How tall is the average storm trooper, cause I may be a little short to be one. And if height is the only requirement, then there's a lot more Jedi then most would realize.

Seriously though, I dont see why people care. Since when did religion have to be about the deity and not the message. Atheists are just out to spoil everyone esle's fun.

 

[theNater]

For instance, if the government is looking to make a new school, and they have the choice to make it religious (eg. C of E) or non-religious, they will check the census for how the local area feels about religion. If the census says 60% religious (for example) then they would probably opt for a religious school. Now, if half of that 60% is made up of people who put 'Jedi' as their religion for a joke, then I doubt that they'd be too happy about this situation

What if half of that 60% is made up of people who put 'Hindu' seriously? Are they still going to establish a C of E religious school?

If the government thinks the only choice is 'religious' or 'not religious', that's what the form should ask. The fact that the form asks that religion be specified indicates at least some awareness that different religions are different.

Ok, I'll agree that it was a fairly facetious example, but I was trying to make the point that by choosing Jedi people will skew the government's data. And while I disagree with a lot of what the government does, I feel that they are better equipped to make good decision s if they have the right data to work with

It will skew the data, true. I'm just trying to point out that skewing the data away from atheism is not the same as skewing it towards C of E.

 

[Labcoat Samurai]

It seems definitive, Atheists can't take a joke.

Jedi ftw.

Well it's not really a joke at their expense. They might even find it funny. But if they stand to benefit by encouraging people to put "no religion" if they do, indeed, have no particular religious leaning, then why *shouldn't* they encourage people to do so?

 

[Treblaine]

Oh crap another census.

What's it called if you have been baptised, used to go to church as a kid, celebrate Christmas but don't believe in god and don't think the Bible is any kind of law or edict but mere parable?

Atheist seems too harsh to go by, so too for "no-religion", and mighty hypocritical considering how many Christian festivals and activities I take part in, I mean I know Jews and Muslims who feel they can't join in Christmas and stuff like that.

Maybe agnostic? Will they put that on the census or will they think most people won't understand that term.

I'd be worried about putting down Christian on my form. To me it is mere cultural heritage, but someone may like the manipulate the statistics to make it out I (and many others) would be in favour of religious based laws or rulings... hell no, I have very secular ideals.

 

[Atmos Duality]

So let me get this straight, the situation plays out something like this:

Atheists: "You're stupid! So you should give your voting/census power to us!"

I definitely wouldn't want those kinds of assholes in power, just on principle.

 

[Bobzer77]

It seems definitive, "The annoying atheists that are stuck up and condescending" can't take a joke.

Jedi ftw.

I think the ones making the joke here are mostly Atheists. It doesn't matter what your belief is, there will always be uptight assholes. Also come the census, I'm a Jedi.

Fix'd

 

[DoW Lowen]

Double post: Ignore this.

 

[Unesh52]

If I were a legislator in the UK, I would want people to not lie on their census form for the sake of being ironic and contrary.

Let me guess, atheist?

Yes. Is this going somewhere or are you just going for an Ad Hominem attack?

I understand that it's usually a joke; I even found it quite funny when I heard about it a few years ago. I also accept that there are some people who genuinely consider themselves Jedi, in a spiritual sense, and I can respect that. But whether or not you think it's useful data or if you think they use it correctly, law makers use the census to help make decisions. It's not fair on the non-religious community (which may include the people who claim Jedi), who are marginalized in public decisions because they're underrepresented. It'd be like putting down "Klingon" as your race. Sure, if the results came back and the Daily Mail gets to run a headline that "40% of people in Bristol are extraterrestrials," we all get a laugh. Neato. But at the same time, that leaves 40% of Bristol unaccounted for by the data.

People used to mock me when I talked about militant atheists....

Militant Atheism? Campaigning to get people to more seriously consider the answers they give to polls which decide public policy is militant? The campaign doesn't seek to convert the religious, it merely seeks to let those who are already non-religious be more accurately represented by the national statistics. What's wrong with that?