Religion: Jedi Knight

[Priest]: May The Force be with you. [Response]: And also with you. Did George Lucas accidentally create a new religion? Unlike in the U.S., the National Census of Canada contains a question on religion that is asked every 10 years. The entire census is optional, including the religion question. In the 2001 Canadian census, however, […]

[Priest]:

May The Force be with you.

[Response]: And also with you.


Did George Lucas accidentally create a new religion?

Unlike in the U.S., the National Census of Canada contains a question on religion that is asked every 10 years. The entire census is optional, including the religion question.

In the 2001 Canadian census, however, 21,000 people put “Jedi Knight” for their religion. This in a nation that accepted, in 2009, the Order of the Jedi Knight, Inc., as a federally incorporated non-profit religious entity. All of this from P.M. Jaworski over at The Western Standard.

It seems, however, that even with all of this, Canada pales in Jedi population when compared to New Zealand (53,000), Australia (70,000), England (390,000 – possibly Britains fourth largest “religion”?). England even boasts the first Jedi Member of Parliament, Jamie Reed, who said of a religion-related bill: “Furthermore, as the first Jedi Member of this place, I look forward to the protection under the law that will be provided to me by the Bill.”

This sizeable number has even sparked some commentators to ask the question: Are Jedi Knights Libertarian or Socialist?

But it seems that this all is becoming quite the trend. Wikipedia even has a page on the “Jedi census phenomenon” where it describes it as “a grassroots movement that was created in 2001 for citizens of a number of English-speaking countries to record their religion as “Jedi” or “Jedi Knight” (after the quasi-religious order of Force-attuned knights in the fictional Star Wars universe) on the national census.”

I have to admit, I don’t expect to see Jedi Knight make an appearance in a world religions textbook. But I can’t help but feel as though this appearance is indicative of something larger. Is this innocent satire, or are these individuals making a statement? Could you be a Christian and a Jedi Knight simultaneously?

Ouch. My head hurts.

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