Religion in Australia

Religion in Australia is diverse: there is no state religion, the establishment of which is prohibited by the Constitution.

At the time of European settlement, the Indigenous Australians had their own religious traditions of the Dreamtime (as Mircea Eliade put it) There is a general belief among the [indigenous] Australians that the world, man, and the various animals and plants were created by certain Supernatural beings who afterwards disappeared, either ascending to the sky or entering the earth (Eliade, 1973, p. 1). and ritual systems, with an emphasis on life transitions such as puberty and death (Berndt, 1974, pp. 4-5).

Historical

Prior to European settlement in 1788 there was contact with Indigenous Australians from people of various faiths. These contacts were with explorers, fishermen and survivors of the numerous shipwrecks. There has been countless artifacts retrieved from these contacts, although there is no record of this influencing the religion of Indigenous Australians.

Christianity was introduced with European settlement of Australia from 1788, denominations represented were predominantly Roman Catholic found amongst Irish convicts and Anglican among other convicts and their gaolers. Other groups were also represented, for example, among the Tolpuddle Martyrs were a number of Methodists.

After settlement, some Muslim sailors and prisoners came to Australia on the convict ships, Afghan cameleers settled in Australia from the 1860s onwards, from the 1870s Malay divers were recruited (with most subsequently repatriated). Islam was not a significant force in this period.

During the 1800s, European settlers brought their traditional churches to Australia. These included the Church of England (now the Anglican Church), and the Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist churches.

With the exception of a small but significant Lutheran population of German descent, Australian society in 1901 was predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with 40% of the population being Anglican (then Church of England), 23% Catholic, 34% other Christian and about 1% professing non-Christian religions. The first census in 1911 showed 96 percent identified themselves as Christian.

Further waves of migration and the gradual repealment of the White Australia Policy, helped to reshape the profile of Australia's religious affiliations over subsequent decades. The impact of migration from Europe in the aftermath of World War II led to increases in affiliates of the Orthodox Churches, the establishment of Reformed bodies, growth in the number of Catholics (largely from Italian migration) and Jews (Holocaust survivors), and the creation of ethnic parishes among many other denominations. More recently (post-1970s), immigration from South-East Asia and the Middle East has expanded Buddhist and Muslim numbers considerably, and increased the ethnic diversity of existing Christian denominations.

As has been the trend throughout the world since the terrorist attacks of September 11, there has been an increasingly strained relationship between the adherents of Islam and the wider community. However, the influence of the identity politics as a whole is not to be discounted in this respects; reflected in the conflicting and ambiguous interpretation of the Sydney race riots 2005.

Constitutional Status

Section 116 of the 1900 Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia (Australian Constitution) provides that:

The Commonwealth of Australia shall not make any law establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.

In 1983, the High Court of Australia defined religion as a complex of beliefs and practices which point to a set of values and an understanding of the meaning of existence. The ABS 2001 Census Dictionary defines "No Religion" as a category of religion. Hence, agnosticism, atheism, Humanism, and rationalism (all sub-categories of "No Religion") are - legally speaking, religions.

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) is able to inquire into allegations of discrimination on religious grounds, the Racial Discrimination Act, is also relevant.

HREOC's 1998 ^[1]addressing the human right to freedom of religion and belief in Australia against article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stated that despite the legal protections that apply in different jurisdictions, many Australians suffer discrimination on the basis of religious belief or non-belief, including members of both mainstream and non-mainstream religions, and those of no religious persuasion.

Many non-Christian adherents have complained to HREOC that the dominance of traditional Christianity in civic life has the potential to marginalise large numbers of citizens. An example of a HREOC response to such views is the IsmaU project^[2], which examines possible racial predjudice against Arabs and Muslims in Australia since the September 11 attacks in the USA, and the Bali bombings.

So far, HREOC has not examined the possibility of religious discrimination against those professing "No Religion".

The ABS 2001 Census Dictionary statement on religious affliliation itself, however, does fail to clarify how the interests of secular Australians are served through the gathering of data on religious affiliation. Also, the failure of the ABS to provide statistics for each sub-category of "No Religion" could be seen as further marginalisation of secular Australians.

Demography

A question on religious affiliation has been asked in every census taken in Australia, with the voluntary nature of this question having been specifically stated since 1933. In 1971, the instruction 'if no religion, write none' was introduced. This saw a sevenfold increase from the previous census year in the percentage of Australians stating they had no religion. Since 1971, this percentage has progressively increased to about 19% in 2006.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2006 Census Dictionary statement on religious affliliation states the purpose for gathering such information:

Data on religious affiliation are used for such purposes as planning educational facilities, aged persons' care and other social services provided by religion-based organisations; the location of church buildings; the assigning of chaplains to hospitals, prisons, armed services and universities; the allocation of time on public radio and other media; and sociological research.

The 2006 census identified that 64% of Australians call themselves Christian: 26% identifying themselves as Roman Catholic and 19% as Anglican. Five percent of Australians identify themselves as followers of non-Christian religions, and 19% categorised as having "No Religion"; 12% declined to answer or did not give a response adequate for interpretation. As in many Western countries, the level of active participation in church worship is much lower than this; weekly attendance at church services is about 1.5 million, about 7.5% of the population.^[2]

The changes found in the intercensal period between 2001 and 2006 were: Hinduism by 55 percent, Islam by 21 percent, Buddhist affiliation increased by 17 percent, and Judaism by 6 percent.

**Top Religious Affiliation in Australia, 2001-2006**
	Number	%	Number	%	% change (absolute)
	2006		2001		% change (absolute)
Christian		63.9		68
- Roman Catholic	5,126,880	25.8	5,001,624	26.6	+2.5
- Anglican	3,718,252	18.7	3,881,162	20.7	-4.2
- Uniting Church in Australia	1,135,427	5.7	1,248,674	6.7	-9.0
- Presbyterian and Reformed	596,671	3.0	637,530	3.4	-6.4
- Baptist	316,738	1.6	309,205	1.6	+2.4
- Lutheran	251,107	1.3	250,365	1.3	+0.3
- Pentecostal	219,689	1.1	194,592	1.0	+12.9
- Other Protestant	736,012	3.7	675,422	3.6	+9.0
- Orthodox	544,160	2.7	529,444	2.8	+2.8
- Oriental Orthodox	40,900	0.2	36,324	0.2	+12.6
Total Christian	12,685,836	63.9	12,764,342	68.0	+0.6
- Buddhist	418,756	2.1	357,813	1.9	+17.0
- Muslim	340,392	1.7	281,578	1.5	+20.9
- Hindu	148,119	0.7	95,473	0.5	+55.1
- Jewish	88,831	0.4	83,993	0.4	+5.7
- Other Religions	109,022	0.5	92,369	0.5	+32.4
- No Religions	3,706,555	18.7	2,905,993	15.5	+27.5
- Not stated/inadequately described	2,357,777	11.9	2,187,688	11.7	+7.6
Total Population	19,855,288	100.0	18,769,249	100.0	+5.8

Indigenous Australian traditions

Indigenous Australians have a complex oral tradition and spiritual values based upon reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is at once the ancient time of creation and the present day reality of Dreaming. There were a great many different groups, each with their own individual culture, belief structure, and language. These cultures overlapped to a greater or lesser extent, and evolved over time. The Rainbow Serpent is a major dream spirit for Aboriginal people across Australia. The Yowie and Bunyip are other well known dream spirits. At the time of the European settlement, traditional religions were animist and also tended to have elements of ancestor worship.

According to the 2001 census, 5,244 persons or less than 0.03 percent of respondents reported practising Aboriginal traditional religions. Aboriginal beliefs and spirituality, even among those Aborigines who identify themselves as members of a traditional organized religion, are intrinsically linked to the land generally and to certain sites of significance in particular. The 1996 census reported that almost 72 percent of Aborigines practiced some form of Christianity, and 16 percent listed no religion. The 2001 census contained no comparable updated data. ^[3]

Christianity

The churches with the largest number of members are the Roman Catholic Church in Australia, the Lutheran Church of Australia, the Uniting Church in Australia, and the Anglican Church of Australia. The Pentecostal churches and charismatic movement are also present with megachurches being found in most states (for example, Hillsong Church and Paradise Community Church). The National Council of Churches in Australia is the main Christian ecumenical body.

Christian denominations:

Hinduism

Hindus are a religious minority in Australia, roughly 70,000 by estimate. In the 19th Century, Hindus first came to Australia to work on cotton and sugar plantations. Many remained as small businessmen, working as camel drivers, merchants and hawkers, selling goods between small rural communities. These days Hindus are well educated professionals in fields such as medicine, engineering, commerce and information technology. As a community Hindus live relatively peacefully and in harmony with the local populations.

Islam

Throughout the 19th Century Muslims were recruited to Australia for specific skills, like Cameleers, Divers, and sailors.

In the early twentieth century, people of non-European descent found it very difficult to come to Australia because of a government policy which limited immigration on the basis of race. In the 1920s and 1930s, Albanian Muslims were accepted due to their lighter European complexion, which was more compatible with the White Australia Policy. From the 1970s onwards, there was a significant shift in the government’s attitude towards immigration. Towards the end of the 20th and the beginning 21st Centuries Australia has encouraged immigration from all countries. This combined with religious conversion to Islam and Australia's participation in UN refugee efforts has increased the overall Muslim population. A phenomena of increasing recognition and significance is the growth of Islam among the Aboriginal community. ^[3]

Judaism

The history of the Jews in Australia began with the transportation of several (16 people) Jewish convicts aboard the First Fleet in 1788 when the first European settlement was established on the continent in present-day Sydney. Today, an estimated 110,000 Jews reside in Australia, the majority being Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern European descent, with many being refugees and Shoah survivors who arrived during and after World War II. The Jewish population has been swelled more recently by immigrants from South Africa and the former Soviet Union. According to the 2001 Commonwealth census, only 83,459 people identified themselves as Jews, but this understated the size of the Jewish population as it did not count those overseas (i.e., dual Australian-Israeli nationals) and many non-practicing Jews who preferred not to state a religion. The largest Jewish community in Australia is in Melbourne with about 50,000 followed closely by Sydney with 45,000 members. Smaller communities are dispersed among the remaining capital cities.

Since the days of British colonialism, Jews have enjoyed formal equality before the law in Australia and have not been subject to civil disabilities or other forms of state-sponsored antisemitism which exclude them from full participation in public life. They assisted in the development of the country and many of them gained distinction. A few have devoted themselves to agriculture; but the majority found here as elsewhere that manufacturing and trade offered inducements well suited to their capabilities. Industry has been largely developed by them; and in the raising of sheep and cattle they were particularly prominent. In science, art, and literature Jews have been active contributors, and in the government of the colonial and Commonwealth eras, they have had an honorable share, with a number having attained prominent public offices. Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs becoming Governor-General of Australia in 1931 (till 1936) for example.

Buddhism

According to the Australian census in 2001, Buddhism is the largest non-Christian religion in Australia, with 357,813 adherents, or 1.9% of the total population. It was also the fastest growing religion in terms of percentage, having increased its number of adherents by 79% since the previous census in 1996. Although the first concrete example of Buddhist settlement in Australia was in 1848, there has been speculation from some anthropologists that there may have been contact hundreds of years earlier. In the mid to late 19th century, groups of Buddhists arrived from China, Japan and Sri Lanka. The first instance of a monk in residence in Australia was in the 1970s, and Buddhism gradually grew after that, mainly due to Asian immigration.

Sikhism

Sikhs have been in Australia since the 1900s. Today there are about 50,000 Sikhs in Australia.

No Religion

An increasing number of Australians no longer align themselves with institutional religion. Surveys like the Australian values survey indicate that many of these people believe in a personal God or higher power and have a spiritual experience. They simply do not want their spirituality institutionalised. On the other hand, some in a conscious and organised way find non-religious responses to their search for meaning. Some of these may belong to various humanist organisations and work for a better and less divided world gained through human means. There has also been an increase in various New Age self-fulfulment philosophies and semi-religious activities like astrology and the occult, although this may not fall into the "no religion" group alone. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, in 2001, 15.5% of the Australian population identified themselves as "No Religion" in a census question- 1.5% lower than the 1996 census.

As of 2006, there are 3,706,555 people in Australia with purely secular beliefs, categorised by ABS as "No Religion". This category includes just 4 named sub-categories, namely agnosticism, atheism, Humanism and rationalism. A 5th sub-category is "No Religion, nfd" (nfd=no further definition).

A popular replacement for Atheist during the 2007 Australian Census was "Jedi"

Combined, non-theistic secularists are the second largest "religious" grouping in Australia after Christianity.

Despite non-theistic secularists representing 16% of the Australian population, the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not provide information in the annual "1301.0 - Year Book Australia" on religious affiliation ^[4] as to how many people fall into each sub-category.

Atheist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Atheist Foundation of Australia. Humanist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies. Rationalist interests in Australia are represented nationally by the Rationalist Society of Australia.

In June 2007 the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the results of the 2006 census, in which 18.7% of people were designated as having no religion- a rise of three points since the 2001 census.^[5]

Sources

Terence Lovat New Studies in Religion. Social Science Press pg 148 (2002)
Berndt, R. M., Australian Aboriginal Religion, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1974 ISBN 90-04-03861-2
Eliade, M. Australian Religions: An Introduction, Oxford University Press, London, 1973 ISBN 0-8014-0729-X

Reference

^ http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/religion/index.html Article 18 Freedom of religion and belief
^ http://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination/isma/report/pdf/exec_summary.pdf
^ [1]
^ http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/BFDDA1CA506D6CFACA2570DE0014496E?opendocument
^ "Census figures show more Australians have no religion", Mark Schliebs, News.com.au, 26 July 2007.

Australian Bureau of Statistics

Notes

^ NCLS releases latest estimates of church attendance, National Church Life Survey, Media release, 28 February 2004
^ Australia in US Department of State International Religious Freedom Report 2003

External links

Template:Australian Topics

[1] ttp://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/religion/index.html Article 18 Freedom of religion and belief

[2] ttp://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination/isma/report/pdf/exec_summary.pdf

[3] [1]

[4] ttp://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/BFDDA1CA506D6CFACA2570DE0014496E?opendocument

[5] "Census figures show more Australians have no religion", Mark Schliebs, News.com.au, 26 July 2007.

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v t e Religion in Oceania
Sovereign states	Australia Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru New Zealand Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Associated states of New Zealand	Cook Islands Niue
Dependencies and other territories	American Samoa Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Easter Island French Polynesia Guam Hawaii New Caledonia Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Pitcairn Islands Tokelau Wallis and Futuna