UK Atheists Hope to Eliminate Jedi Population

[Formica Archonis]

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?

By Catholic (and maybe other church) standards? Christian. The sacrament of baptism is indelible and can't be revoked, ever. (That's why you can't be baptized twice.)

But if your only connection to a faith of any kind is that you go to the parties members of the faith hold, then you're a partygoer, not a Christian. Being Christian means accepting that Jesus of Nazareth was, well, the Christ. A lot of atheists/agnostics/don't-care-what-I-ams celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday because it's still fun to decorate the house and get/give presents and have parties. And depending on the specific person, some Jews have a very Christmassy Hanukkah, with presents and stuff and a sense it's the "big" holiday of the year. (As Jewish holy days go, it's not a big deal.)

tl;dr - You're Christian if you believe in Christ, not just if you like Christmas.

(Edit: Weird, second half of my post just up and vanished. Attempt 2....)
Agnosticism isn't, despite popular belief, atheist-lite. It's a separate belief that's compatible with but not necessary for atheism (and even some faiths). Simply put: Agnostics believe that the question of whether or not god(s) exist is unanswerable. Some of them still believe in a god or gods but do not think they'll ever have proof. Many others don't believe in any god and the agnosticism is a side point.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I find their lack of faith disturbing.

I guess the Athiests wont be happy until everyone is as miserable as they are.

 

[New York Patrick]

They are doing it so god damned wrong here....

They need to be ENCOURAGING people to choose Jedi as an option! Hell, Jedism has about as much legitamacy as any other choice... in fact, it has MORE legitimacy than Scientology!

 

[Sillyiggy]

If the government interprets the population of "Jedi" as devoutly religious there is a bit of a problem in the area of COMMON SENSE.

You are talking about RELIGION you realize? Since when did sense ever enter the equation?

 

[Evil Alpaca]

Don't you see. If the government believes the country is full of Jedi then they will never contribute to build a Death Sta.... I mean super friendly space station.

On a serious note, if people want to stop others from trolling the census, this sort of campaign is the wrong way to go about it. Running a public platform like this only gives legitimacy to jokers and shows that their actions are gaining popularity.

Rule #14 of the internet: don't argue with trolls - it means they win

 

[justnotcricket]

The census takers could always just take 'Jedi' *as* 'No Religion'. Problem solved.

I don't believe in messing with these things for a laugh (like voting for the randomest party you can find in the elections just because you're disillusioned with big politics). It's just childish.

However, if you genuinely believe that you're a member of the Jedi 'faith'...(which I don't think is the case for 99.9% of the people who put Jedi on their census forms).

 

[Joepow]

It is not atheists who want this crap to stop, it's people who understand the purpose of the census is to provide accurate demographic data, not to be tampered with by your unfunny bullcrap.

There are certainly not enough people like them in these forums.

 

[Formica Archonis]

It's not "Atheists," it's the British Humanist Association (an apparently Atheist group, considering what Humanism is, but hardly speaking for the whole).

A neopagan once told me that if there's six Wiccans in a room there's at least seven different faiths. I've long since realized that if you put six atheists in a room there's at least seven different nonfaiths.

 

[FightThePower]

I get the impression that the vast majority of the people who respond to these kind of stories can't read or are incredibly reactionary. All this group does is want to make sure that the 2011 Census is accurate because it's incredibly useful for the Government to, you know, run the fucking country.

Not that Cameron and Clegg can run the country, but that's beside the point.

 

[Rayne870]

Considering the teachings of the Jedi are just the same as pretty much any other religion I don't see why one couldn't follow Jedi as a religion or why anyone would have a problem with it.

 

[WillyDJ]

One of the better reasons for not putting jedi on the form is that you're marginalising some poor SOB who really does belong to a small religion or a big one that doesn't have many believers locally. For example, in New Zealand there are more 'Jedi' than pagans, wicca, sihks, mormons amd hindus. Islam only had 500 more believers in one census. These groups are having a hard time as it is in a country that has only recently got rid of its culturally ingrained racism without some bunch of officials having another excuse to not formally give them consideration.

 

[DoW Lowen]

Bashing atheism. Hmmm that's almost as new as bashing religion. It is really quite remarkable how atheist opinions are so quickly shot down by this community, anything they say is immediately taken as hostile. From the countless polls down on here from users, at least half of us are agnostic, half of the agnostics are non-believers and about a tenth of them are anti-theistic. I really don't get it.

I say that, because only those atheists are these people to sign their census data over to increase THEIR representation. Which in turn, increases political power via representation.

What do those people get in return? They get to have anything that they want to believe in stomped on. They are being publicly campaigned against and humiliated for political gain. Make no mistake; I would call bullshit on this no matter which faith/belief the perpetrators kept.

I think you've must misread, because they are not asking for over representation, they are asking for accurate representation. I don't care how you frame it, how you try to argue it whether it's seriously or ironically - There. Is. No. Jedi.

Say again - There. Is. No. Jedi.

It might be funny, might be the greatest joke of the 21st century. It's core beliefs may even be beneficial - but it is not a religion, it's from a sci-fi series. And they had said if a person does not find religion important in their own lives to identify themselves as part of that organization than 'please consider' not 'do this' or 'you're obligated to', but please consider ticking no religion come census date.

Anything else you bring up is tangent to this issue, because the fact of the matter is all they are asking is for accurate data - fuck all the political bullshit that comes with it, any member in society who believes in pluralism would want an accurate census, because atheist, christian, muslim or even serious Jedi's - it's the RESPONSIBLE thing to do. Any other critical argument I have for it I already posted.

So where does everything else you bring in come into play with this other than exhibiting your thinly veiled contempt?

 

[Togs]

OMG arrogant atheists! how can this dismiss my beliefs! so rude!

 

[Shycte]

If you think that this "Jedi" thing is stupid then you don't want Freedom of Religon. Simple as that. These radical atheists only goal is to make it look like their number is bigger. They do this by preying on Freedom of Religon.

You can't have to cake and eat it. Either you accept Jedi, or you reject and stand against Freedom of Religon.

 

[Jumpingbean3]

Goooood!

Hence forth, we shall be known as Darth... Britannia.

 

[TimeLord]

I'm still fucking putting Jedi.

Hear hear!

OT: This years census will be my first and because the damn thing is 30 odd pages long and the government want to know what colour toothbrush I use then they are going to get Jedi as my religion for being douches!

 

[icaritos]

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

Huh ok, I don't remember being rude towards you but whatever.