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Force strong for new Jedi church

Two Star Wars-loving brothers planning a Jedi church hope it will be much nearer than a galaxy far, far away.
Barney and Daniel Jones want fellow devotees to be able to join them close to their home on Anglesey.

Barney, 26 - or Master Jonba Hehol - and Daniel, 21 - Master Morda Hehol - head the UK Church of the Jedi, in honour of the film's good knights.

They say their services will include sermons on "the Force," light sabre training, and meditation techniques.

Hairdresser Barney became interested in the Jedi faith after 390,000 other Star Wars fans across England and Wales declared it as their religion on the 2001 census.

An internet campaign was fought to see Jedi officially included in the list and although this did not happen, collators included a special code to register the Jedis.

He said: "As children we always watched the Star Wars films anyway. We noticed that there were a couple of sites on the internet, Jedi church sites.

"We printed off a couple of sermons and did a sermon in our house for a couple of friends one night."

Barney and his musician brother Daniel, from Holyhead, help run four websites devoted to the development of the "faith".

They plan to go to the official opening of a Surrey-based branch or "chapter" of the UK Church of the Jedi in April, and hope to hire an Anglesey venue for their own services.

Already six followers regularly meet in north Wales to discuss setting up the "church".

"My brother and I would hold sermons, do talks and get guest speakers," explained Barney.

"We would read out essays members of the congregation have submitted on their feelings about the Jedi and the Force: do meditation, relaxation and visualisation techniques and a bit of light-sabre training."

Watching the films as children gave the brothers a good understanding of the "faith," said Barney.

"We had a knowledge of the Force from that and the teachings of Yoda. We've read the teachings on the internet.

"Our father is a karate black belt, we used to train with him, which is where we got the martial arts."

Barney, who has watched the Star Wars films "multiple dozens of times," does not wear film-themed clothing in public, but he and his brother would do so at Jedi church meetings.

'Sense of unity'

He said: "My brother and I will wear the Jedi robes, the dark brown robes... the congregation would be in black. Really to bring a sense of unity to the meetings."

Although the current members are all men, women are not excluded, as Barney Jones points out: "Princess Leia helped them out a lot."

However, any congregation member drawn to the dark side of the Force, embodied in the film by Darth Vader, would be advised they are following the wrong path and could face expulsion.

Barney explained: "Obviously, if someone starts to try and use the good force for greed and power, they are going to bring negative interference into the meetings.

"We cannot have the Force disrupted by negative interference."

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after 390,000 other Star Wars fans across England and Wales declared it as their religion on the 2001 census.

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Guilty. *hand up*

What was i thinking back then? Luckily i renounced it after an episode of Family Guy and reverted to the true faith....The Church of the Fonz.

Oh brother.

I don't understand how "Jedi" is a religion. Isn't it something that is achieved?

Who do they worship? Master Yoda??

A bunch of people who need significant attention from the opposite sex! (or same sex...depending on their preferences)

Could be.....or it could be a few blokes just messing about.

The whole vibe back then was that the Census was compulsory and people didn't like being told what to do and many saw it as an invasion of privacy....the campaign for "Jedi" as religion was given a high profile by DJ Chris Evans IIRC.

People did it as a means of dissent as it was widely publicised that if a certain number ticked "Jedi" as a religion then it was compulsory of the Government to recognize it....which was pretty cool.

My memory is a little hazy of the full facts, perhaps English Dawg can confirm his recollection of the whole affair.

What a bunch of nerds....

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I've actually read books on this subject before.

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You scare me!

Mmmm... go to worship you must. Keep you from the Dark Side, it will...

WOW!

So who is "God"?

Yoda?
Obe Won?
George Lucas?

I like the Star Wars movies as much as the next guy but I will never understand why these people can't just enjoy it for what it is like the rest of us. IT'S A MOVIE, nothing more, nothing less.

I suppose this means George Lucas is the future version of L. Ron Hubbard

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Yes, it's a movie, but it's no crazier to develop a religion out of it than it is to create a religion based on a book (Christianity).

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Fixed.