Star Wars News

A church in Scotland has said that the proposed changes to marriage could open the way for Jedis to perform ceremonies.

As we all know, Jedi knights are characters in the Star Wars franchise, but according to the Free Church of Scotland, various groups promoting the interest in the Jedi, include the Jedi Knight Society and Temple of the Jedi Order, may be authorised to solemnise marriage.

The church, in reference to the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill, have said that any groups promoting a belief will be permitted to marry couples. The government have already said that the change was relevant to groups, such as humanists, who are currently classed as religious as opposed to non-religious.

This all stems from initial concerns about religious and civil partnership ceremonies being joined by a '"third category."

The Reverend Iver Martin told the BBC that "The third category is quite astonishing because it is the so-called belief category without really defining what belief means." He went on to say "There are loads of people in a diverse society like this for whom belief can mean virtually anything - the Flat Earth Society and Jedi Knights Society - who knows? I am not saying that we don't give place to that kind of personal belief, but when you start making allowances for marriages to be performed within those categories then you are all over the place."

As a result of this concern, the Scottish Government is holding a public consultation on the bill.

A government spokeswoman said "Our current consultation covers not only the introduction of same sex marriage but also the detail of important protections in relation to religious bodies and celebrants, freedom of speech and education." She also said that as part of the consultation the government have outlined the reasons for suggesting a third type of ceremony. She went on to say "At the moment, marriage ceremonies by bodies such as humanists have been classed as religious, even though the beliefs of such organisations are non-religious." She said that the bill made the government's determination to ensure the continued reputation of Scottish marriage ceremonies clear.

It has been proposed that tests be introduced with conditions that a religious or belief body would have to meet before they could be authorised to perform marriages. 

So who knows? Maybe one day in the not-too-distant-future, you could be saying your vows in front of Master Kenobi.

Or should that be Reverend Kenobi?