Hito
February 17th, 2003, 02:19 AM
Source:CNN.Com (http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/02/16/offbeat.jedis.reut/index.html)
Sunday, February 16, 2003 Posted: 9:51 PM EST (0251 GMT)
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- It's official -- "Star Wars" has created almost 400,000 Jedis in Britain.
More than 390,000 people listed their religion as "Jedi" on their 2001 census form, more than those who said they were Jewish, Buddhist or Sikh, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.
The Jedis declared their belief after a campaign on the Internet asked people to "do it because you love Star Wars" or "just to annoy people."
"Star Wars devotees stated their faith as 'Jedi' in the mistaken belief that if 10,000 did so it would be recognized as an official religion," a national statistics spokesman said.
In the films, the Jedi knights are a noble order of protectors unified by their belief in a universal power called the Force.
Sunday, February 16, 2003 Posted: 9:51 PM EST (0251 GMT)
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- It's official -- "Star Wars" has created almost 400,000 Jedis in Britain.
More than 390,000 people listed their religion as "Jedi" on their 2001 census form, more than those who said they were Jewish, Buddhist or Sikh, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.
The Jedis declared their belief after a campaign on the Internet asked people to "do it because you love Star Wars" or "just to annoy people."
"Star Wars devotees stated their faith as 'Jedi' in the mistaken belief that if 10,000 did so it would be recognized as an official religion," a national statistics spokesman said.
In the films, the Jedi knights are a noble order of protectors unified by their belief in a universal power called the Force.