Ruling spells bad news for Star Wars fans

A ruling by the Charity Commission has dealt a bitter blow to the forces of good in their all out war against an Evil Empire in a galaxy far far away.

Jediism, it has been decreed by the commission, is not a religion despite fervent efforts to categorise it as such.

It comes after The Temple of the Jedi Order made an application to be recognised as a charity in England and Wales.

In its ruling, officials said that Jediism did not "promote moral or ethical improvement" for charity law purposes.

Some 177,000 people declared themselves Jedi under the religion section in the 201 census, making it the seventh most popular religion.

Jediism “lacked the necessary spiritual or non-secular element" to be classed as a religion and there was insufficient proof of “moral improvement” to be deemed a belief system, the commission said.

The Jedi Church's website it says the Church believes "there is one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together. The Jedi religion is something innate inside everyone of us, the Jedi Church believes that our sense of morality is innate. So quiet your mind and listen to the force within you!"

It says all are welcome to the Church: "The Jedi Church recognises that there is one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together, and accepts people from all walks of life, from all over the universe as members of our religion."

However, the commission acknowledged that the definition of religion is evolving - indicating that it might just be a matter of time before Jediism becomes recognised.