Thought this might be of interest......
from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38368526
Jediism not a religion, Charity Commission rules
Jediism, the worship of the mythology of Star Wars, is not a religion, the Charity Commission has ruled.
The commission rejected an application to grant charitable status to The Temple of the Jedi Order.
It said Jediism did not "promote moral or ethical improvement" for charity law purposes in England and Wales.
In the 2011 census, 177,000 people declared themselves Jedi under the religion section, making it the seventh most popular religion.
In its ruling the Charity Commission said there was insufficient evidence that "moral improvement" was central to the beliefs and practices of Jediism.
It also noted the Jedi Doctrine can be accepted, rejected and interpreted by individuals as they see fit.
The commission said to be classed as a religion it must have a positive beneficial impact on society in general and raised concerns that Jediism may, in part, have an "inward focus" on its members.
What is Jediism?
Jediism is based on the observance of the Force, described as "the ubiquitous and metaphysical power" that a Jedi believes to be the underlying, fundamental nature of the universe
- Jedi do not believe in a god, having faith instead "in the Force, and in the inherent worth of all life within it"
- They believe in eternal life through the Force and do not become "obsessed in mourning those who pass".
- Jedi may grieve but are content, knowing they will "forever be a part of the Force"
- The definition of Jediism states the religion is an "inspiration and a way of life" for people who take on "the mantle of Jedi"
- The Jedi Doctrine acknowledges there is some "scope for followers to simply view Jediism as a philosophy or way of life" and some Jedi prefer to avoid the word religion
Daniel Jones, leader of the Church of Jediism, said Jedi would continue to do charity work without any legal status and was convinced "Jediism's status will change in the next five years".
"It's not what anyone in the Jediism community wants to hear, when you have churches like Satan and Scientology with charitable religious statuses," he told the BBC.
Jediism has more adherents than Rastafarians and Jains, according to the census.
But the number of Jedi fell sharply from 2001, when 390,000 people said they were followers of The Force.
Kenneth Dibble, the chief legal adviser at the Charity Commission, said: "The law relating to what is and is not a charity evolves continuously and, as in this case, can be influenced by decisions in other areas. Our role is critical in interpreting and explaining the extent of what the law considers charitable
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