In 2001 an early internet campaign led to the British census of that year recording the presence of 400,000 followers of the “Jedi” religion in the country. A handful of “Sith” were also found to be plotting in the shadows via the same census.
Now Australia is having a census of its own and concerns have been raised that online activity could distort the census figures relating to religion.
At the heart of the issue is the distinction between religious affiliation and practice.
Ahead of the census two competing strands of thought have been active online. The first encourages people who consider themselves non-religious to choose “No Religion” on the census.
The second encourages people to answer the census question according to their religious practice rather than affiliation. According to this view, a person who, for example, views themselves as culturally Catholic, but doesn’t attend mass or even believe in God, should also put themselves down as “No Religion”.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has apparently come out against both of these strains of thought, urging people to answer the religion question according to their affiliation rather than religious practices.
In a statement the ABS, said it was “aware of campaigns aimed at influencing individuals’ responses to the 2026 Census question on religion”.
It added, “The question on religion measures a person’s religious affiliation, which may be different from their practice of, or participation in, religious activities. Religious affiliation refers to the religion a person nominates an association with. This may be different from their religious practices or their participation in religious activities.”
This approach has been defended by churches and religious groups in Australia.
An article by Christian broadcaster Hope 103.2 stated, “A person who identifies as Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Orthodox or another Christian tradition may not attend weekly services. Equally, they may still view that faith tradition as a significant part of their identity, values, family story or community connections.
“Understanding that distinction helps explain why the Census uses the language of affiliation rather than participation.”
The article went on to argue that religious affiliation, even without spiritual practice, often still informs the values and priorities of the individual concerned.
