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The Force is strong with the force: Scottish police say they're 'Jedi'
Eight police officers serving with Scotland's largest force listed their official religion as Jedi in voluntary diversity forms, the BBC reported.
Strathclyde Police said the officers and two of its civilian staff claimed to follow the "faith," as depicted in Star Wars. The details were obtained in a Freedom of Information request by Jane's Police Review.
Strathclyde was the only force in the United Kingdom to admit it had Jedi officers.
About 390,000 people listed their religion as Jedi in the 2001 Census for England and Wales. In Scotland the figure was a reported 14,000. The Office for National Statistics did not recognize it as a separate category and incorporated followers of Jedi with the atheists.
By j-dub at 2:32 AM ON 04/17/09
Ha ha ha ha ha! I believe it.
By DarkHawke at 2:52 AM ON 04/17/09
Hey, let's see what we can do with this. Everybody in the U.S.: when you get your Census questionnaire, or if a Census worker talks to you next year, give 'em Jedi for your religion if asked. Damn skippy I will!
By J at 5:51 AM ON 04/17/09
In the last few months, since SciFi Wire got it's own website, it has taken a serious turn toward being an unfocused, inmature rag rather than a good source of up to date information on entertainment, events, movies, etc.
Let's take today's posing for example. It has an article that has "WTF?" in the title. Not professional. Let bloggers make those kinds of comments. It has a story about Scottish police who have chosen Jedi as their religion. What does that have to do with the entertainment world? If I wanted to read stories like that, I would buy the National Inquirer.
My suggestion is to refocus the direction of the website and keep it professional.
By Gixo at 8:06 AM ON 04/17/09
WHY? please return to reporting on science fiction news maybe if Sci Fi or Scy Fy or Scy Why whatever its called now spent more time reporting on Science Fiction projects and promoting programmes we the fans would not keep losing the few good projects that do appear with several projects circling the drain surely your efforts could be better spent than on this sort of drivel.
By crazeeemom at 8:24 AM ON 04/17/09
I agree with Gixo and J.
I also miss the polls and the various top ten lists
By AronZ at 9:45 AM ON 04/17/09
Also it seems that Sci-Fi Wire has gotten much more negative in its outlook.
By GoblinRevolution at 11:00 AM ON 04/17/09
Ummm, so you guys are complaining about this article not having anything to do with science fiction? (Jedi Knights as religion is fairly science fiction by any definition). You are also complaining that there is not enough "science fiction news" on this site. 1: there isn't a hell of a lot of science fiction news period. 2: if this site doesn't meet your oh so high standards, go to tor.com or Starlog's website.
The reason that there is only crappy science fiction about is not because this site is the National Inquirer of S/F; it is because the US is a nation ruled by the lowest common denominator and the lowest common denominator does not want intelligent, well written and challenging entertainment. There will never by any decent TV until you are no longer a country of American Idols.
Stop acting so butt hurt.
By GLIHA2002 at 1:14 PM ON 04/17/09
Ah, to serve and protect against the Dark Laird o' the Sith.
By Chayne Lightning at 7:59 PM ON 04/17/09
How is this story NOT Scifi?
over 400,000 people in the United Kingdom make there religious affiliation with the most successful Science Fiction movie series.
That is, well honestly, that is kinda scary,
I remember similar story coming out New Zealand too, about 5000 people there did the same thing.
By headrock at 6:02 PM ON 04/19/09
would it be too much to ask that you not reference the characters from the awful Episode I-III movies? Samuel ('Yoda told you no, mutha fucka!') Jackson and the various muppets of I-III should not even be seen again.
By Sockmonkey at 7:42 PM ON 04/19/09
Don't you think those Scots cops were just taking the piss? Or are you all just humour challenged enough to believe there's actually a Jedi religion?
Visit mobile.syfy.com/wire on your mobile device.
Sockmonkey:
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