UK Census: The reality...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 20 Apr 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Malachite	20 Apr 2002
After many rumours of Pagans not being included, the actual data codes can be found online...amongst the many other religious groups, the following can be found, and may be of interest here..(Note, numbers do not count from '001') 307: Asatru 314: Druidism 323: Pagan 324: New Age 325: Occult 326: Pantheism 330: Santeri 331: Satanism 339: Vodun 340: Wicca 343: Celtic Pagan 344: Own Belief System 348: Animism 897: Heathenism The odd 897, like 'Jedi' at 896 is a result of an unexpected category cropping up after the plans were made...for some reason, the idea that people would choose 'none', rather than atheist, or 'heathen', rather than pagan, did not occur to the census planners....I guess thats also the reason that 'Celtic Pagan' comes after 'Wiccan', in an otherwise alphabetical list...

Liliana	20 Apr 2002
I think Id use 344 hehe

Malachite	20 Apr 2002
I did, actually....It was before I really felt I could be labelled as anything else...

Kiama	21 Apr 2002
Yes, but they're still not recognised on the forms. When does one religion become more recognisable than another, I wonder? When do we become something other than a statistic, something other than a minute category in the 'Other' box, partially ignored? Stupid country. Kiama

Malachite	21 Apr 2002
Bear in mind, 'other' includes Bahai, Druze, All Pagan types, and lots of other groups... When you;re printing a form for about 20million households, they kinda need to save space and ink... I guess a handy limit would be 1%...or about 600'000 followers... but thats just my guess...

Kiama	21 Apr 2002
Its not just forms I'm talking about. The whole country seems to think that they can lump all the 'Other' religions into one category, and try to ignore thm, hoping we'll go away. Not gonna work! These 'Other' religons are not catered for in our society. I can walk along a street, and count 7 churches, on that one street. I can walk down another street, and count 2 Mosques, a synagogue, and, now and then, maybe even a Spiritualist Church. These people are dead lucky. I don't see anything like that for the 'Other' religions. I mean, you try and get planning permission for another ;) church, yep, fine, go ahead sir! But, you try to get planning for say, a stone circle in your back yard, or a building for the local Jain community, and its well... Let us think.... Maybe. Come back to us in 6 months. If its a stone circle, its most probably no. Their reason is cuz it is an eyesore, and the neighbours won't like it. But then I go past that street with all those churches, and wonder just how much of an eyesore their neon crosses and banners and plaques dedicated to the Lord are.... They're allowed to tell us about Jesus and their form of God, and nobody criticises or pickets, but you get a Pagan handing out flyers about the Goddees, putting up a huge neon banner outside his/her coven about the Threefold Law, The Charge of the Goddess, etc, and believe me, she'll be taking that lot down within the month! Some covens have had a hell of a time tying to convince the tax collector people that their establishment is a religious building, and therefore they don't need to pay tax for it. Some haven't achieved success at all, yet. Conclusion: The 'Other' religions are not catered for enough. Stuff the forms and the Census, what happened with that happens IRL. And IMO, IRL is alot harder to cope with. Kiama

Malachite	21 Apr 2002
Ok. If thats how you feel. I will do the street thing. I will organise fair practice at my college for 'other' religions. I will organise it with my council. With my constituency and with my godd@mn country. Now will you stop sitting on your behind complaining, or do something?. This is a country of precedent. Rules and equality do not appear before you. You push the rule until it is visible enough to be changed. THats how this country has worked for the last half-millenium, and its not gonna change because a teenager in christchurch doesn't like it.

Kiama	21 Apr 2002
Hmm.... When Ive finished my homework, maybe. Kiama You go ahead, try and do something. I have no confidence in the government's respect for people like us who have different views. When we get a new government, please wake me up.

Malachite	21 Apr 2002
vote for it.

Kiama	21 Apr 2002
I'm not old enough. Kiama And, when I am old enough, even when I vote, it will not make what I want a reality. Even if every single minority person voted, they would not win. The majority would. Its not called a minority for nothing, and such is democracy. I'm going Green Party all the way for the elections, but it doesn't mean the Green Party will end up running our country.

Diana	22 Apr 2002
Kiama: when it came to politics, my dad was a very wise man. I remember him telling me often, when I was a little kid sitting on his knees and we would chat about the world and politics, he would look at me and say "Diana honey: never forget one thing. The real power is in the hands of the opposition". Think about that. And don't get discouraged just 'cos the party you vote for doesn't win. Most likely, once they do win, they'll end up disappointing you anyway.

Butterfly	22 Apr 2002
When I think of the people who have moved this earth on a major scale- it's never a politician that comes to mind. Look at Nelson Mandela, what was achieved by him. Look at Mother Theresa. Look at Princess Di (I never liked her, but will admit that she did so much). Never doubt that one person can change the world, and never believe that the power lies on the politicians.

Umbrae	22 Apr 2002
Never underestimate the power of an idea. Philosophy is always dangerous because it promotes the creation of new ideas. Morality is always defined by those in power. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Malachite	23 Apr 2002
Umm..Butterfly...Hate to point his out, but Nelson Mandela was a politician!...with the ANC party.... And Mikhail Gorbachev springs to mind... but point taken. And a minority is only a minority until it gets support. THen it can become a majority party.

The UK Census: The reality... thread was originally posted on 20 Apr 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.