# 3 Hail Marys and a light saber

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 10, 2001, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567 "2001-10-10T13:46:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567/1 "2001-10-10T13:46:16Z")

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Rejoice…Jedi Knights are officially recognized as a

[religion](http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/28/22113.html) in the UK…

Insert own joke here \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

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**Author:** ![Alex\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567/2 "2001-10-10T13:55:21Z")

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_Prepares to trample on the fun_  
_From [snopes.com](http://snopes.com)_

> [@](#):
>
> The 7 August 2001 Australia and 29 April 2001 United Kingdom censuses have afforded pranksters an opportunity to wreak a little mayhem by messing with the official results. E-mailed incitements to list “Jedi” as one’s personal religion began appearing in inboxes in March 2001 with the incentive to do so offered as the living out of one’s childhood dream of fighting for interstellar justice, light saber in hand.
> 
> Truth is, marking down “Jedi” isn’t going to change a thing, least of all what officially gets considered a religion. The U.K.'s Office of National Statistics has confirmed the stunt will not work. “There won’t be any coding for Jedi,” a representative of the ONS said. “So it won’t be called a religion even if 10,000 people do it.” Besides, it is not up to the ONS to decide such a question. They may be an arm of the government, but it doesn’t fall within their province to confer official status (whatever that might be) on a religion any more than it would be up to the Boy Scouts to designate New York City a national wildlife preserve.

Alex

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**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567/3 "2001-10-10T16:06:04Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Alex B \*  
> \*\*_Prepares to trample on the fun_
> 
> Alex \*\*

Umm…you just quoted what I linked to…I know it’s not “official”…it’s, you know, a joke 🙂

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**Author:** ![TheOtherOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@TheOtherOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOtherOne)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567/4 "2001-10-10T16:08:27Z")

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A what?  
I don’t buy it, mister. You just go to your room and STOP trying to misinform the public with your lies!

😃

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**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567/5 "2001-10-10T16:29:29Z")

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Jedi don’t lie!!!

At least not standing up. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Yoaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8797f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Yoaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Yoaz)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567/6 "2001-10-10T17:14:19Z")

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Well, it _could_ have been a religion if Lucas hadn’t mentioned anything about midichlorians, or whatever you call them.

A blood test for the Force, my ass.

🙂

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**Author:** ![Alex\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-hail-marys-and-a-light-saber/86567/7 "2001-10-10T17:14:30Z")

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Jokes?

Tricks?

A Jedi seeks not these things.