The UK Census form and Putting down "Jedi"

This particular post is inspired by this absurdly inaccurate, willfully misleading article on "The Escapist" website entitled UK Atheists Hope to Eliminate Jedi Population and the comments that were shit out in front of me in response to it.

First of all, most importantly; the title. Sensationalism in journalism is well known and well mocked (yet still well believed), as brilliantly shown in this SMBC comic, and yet the title of this piece is more ridiculous than others' satire of it. It seems to imply that Atheists are openly campaigning for genocide based on beliefs and, whilst many a-fool likely believe that this is something atheists have always secretly wanted to do, the actual truth of the campaign couldn't be further from this bizarre title.

One commenter (one of the aforementioned fools) exclaimed "No wonder nobody likes atheists!". Yes! No wonder nobody does; The press will lie through their teeth to make us seem like baby killers and you eat it up like it's made of chocolate and tits.

A far more accurate title, though unfortunately less exciting, would be "UK Atheists campaign for accuracy on the census form".

Yes everyone had a good joke in 2001 putting down "Jedi" in the optional religion question, the common reasons listed for doing so being - entertainment, trolling and protesting the inclusion of an optional question on religion.

But census information is important, you don't lie about the rest of the questions and there is simply no reason, beyond being an asstroll, for lying on the census form. The government uses this information to shape its policy and inaccurate information gives an inaccurate representation of the population.

And let me just hammer home the big point about the "protest" angle; ITS FUCKING OPTIONAL. What? Are you so disgusted by your own beliefs that the government isn't even allowed to ask what they are? Are you so childish and dimwitted in seeing that a more poignant protest would be to simply not answer the question? But no! Some intrepid imbeciles on the escapist are under the impression that the government is "Prying into their personal lives", and seeing as this objection arose a fair few times I'm going to have to assume this is a somewhat common thought.

If you are one of those who thinks that asking an optional question is, in any way, prying into your private life, then you are officially fucking paranoid. According to your way of thinking it is possible for the government to pry into your private life through a single question without you even answering it. That's some spectacular stupid you've got there.

And lets get this straight - The campaign is for accuracy. Accuracy, not the eradication of the "Jedi" answer. If you're really a Jedi, if you really do identify to that religion, then put down "Jedi".

If you're doing it to be amusing, if you're doing it to "Protest", if you're doing it because you think it makes you some sort of rebel right out of Grease; Don't. Put down the option that accurately describes you...or don't put down anything at all.

Please