To me it looks like a number of religious denominations are running scared of the result of this question.

I suspect the government will use the probable result of this question to reduce funding of many religious organisations.

From the article, I can see many of the church groups can see the same coming.

As for religion, surely worship is major part of the trapping of any of them. Shouldn't those of us who worship [or bow down to nothing & no one] be entitled to claim no religion?

Dear Hasbeen,

«Shouldn't those of us who worship [or bow down to nothing & no one] be entitled to claim no religion?»

You should certainly be entitled to claim that you are not aware of having any religion.
You should also be entitled to claim that you do not belong to any such organisation which despite calling itself "religious", fails to believe in "Thou shalt not steal" when accepting tax-payer funds.

As an enthusiastic maker of cakes (I just took an Orange Tea Cake out of the oven), I can tentatively suggest that there are indeed cakes which are not fruit cakes, and yet are cakes. My kids will love this one.

Religion is not the only way to believe. One does not have to presuppose a supernatural to believe, and hope for, and work towards, a better world. Just ask Foxy :)

On the other hand, to believe in nothing is to live an empty life. To live a life just for oneself, and bugger anybody else, is a wasted life. We live, we ..... [fill in] and then we die. Mortality is 100 % guaranteed. What will you do between now and then ? Will you leave the world a slightly better place ? Or will your descendants be left arguing over the bits and pieces of your accumulated junk ? There is no god to decide for you, only you can do that.

Even if you are a devout believer, and expect to sit on the right hand of your god, or play around with 72 houris forever, what will you leave down here on earth ? Are you all that matters to you ?

Joe

THOR RULES, OK?

Every Man or Goat is entitled to practice his own religion.

I myself worship Norse Heaven, Valhalla, and deeply resent the lack of "Norse Gods" on the Census Form. May the curse of Fólkvangr be upon the Bureau of Statistics.

As we all know Valhalla is superior to "No Religion" and the Christianity of the Monastry Pagans.

In Norse mythology, Valhalla (from Old Norse Valhöll "hall of the slain" is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those who die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr.

In Valhalla, the dead join the masses of those who have died in combat known as Einherjar, as well as various legendary Germanic heroes and kings, as they prepare to aid Odin during the events of Ragnarök.

Suddenly everybody knows all about religon, including the atheists? Come on!

Cobber reveals that he believes "in zero", explaing why he KNOWS zero.

As for the census, I'll be putting Christian, because you can bet your bottom dollar that Muslims will be putting in Muslim, and there more of them there are, the more the politicians will be sucking up to them for votes. So, all you atheists and "nothings" leave the space blank or write 'none', and slip further down the slope towards being regarded as of no importance to politicians who use the census to see who they need to be interested in to keep their jobs. You bloody fools.

Why do the religious try and define everyone as religious?

While some atheists might be zealous with a religious like fervor, most of us simply don't believe in anything, and don't give a crap what anyone else believes as long as they keep it to themselves.

Religion is like a penis. I don't mind if the owner is proud to possess it as long as he doesn't feel the need to take it out and wave it in my face.