In today’s aggressively secular Australia, we’ve lost something vital -shared moral grounding. Religion, for all its imperfections, offers values, community, and a sense of human dignity that a self-centred, winner takes all culture sorely lacks.

I’m not an overly religious person myself that goes to a place or worship each week but I respect those who stand for something greater than personal gain rooted in tradition, religion being part of the picture.

In a secular society we often loose sight of values, principles and ethics and in terms of secularism it has not made us freer, it’s made us colder as people, dismissing faith based perspectives with contempt, while elevating hollow, nothing much ideologies.

For me, we must move toward a non secular society rooted in mutual respect, moral conviction, and compassion. We are seeing a rise in a survival of the fittest approach which is moving across many countries like a virus affecting many not affected by such an approach before.

I am not here to impose religion on others, but to restore the moral core we so desperately need. This process of seeking agreement across different religious and cultural belief systems will be a challenge, but a true non secular society sees care and humanity fundamental to it's way of operation and life, with values as its core base.

I hope one day Australia and other countries will become non secular societies and places with the benefits that flow. This will include secularism which has emerged as an alternative belief form. It will be up to us as people to make it all happen.

Dear Nathan,

How would you feel about a parent that is constantly complaining about their child's primary school: "These idiots, why do they run a primary school? they should be having a university instead, my precious little genius deserves so much better, this is so unfair...".

Well, that little genius should indeed go to university instead, rather than convert that school into a university, teaching such advanced courses which only one student could make sense of!

Life on earth is a primary school, it has no other intrinsic value in itself.
One learns here how to take care of themselves, how to obtain personal gains: one just cannot yet grasp any higher values, let alone religion, before they first mastered the fulfilment of their personal desires.

Having religion is a privilege for advanced students only: if you try to make everyone have it, most of whom being still unqualified novices, then they will not understand any of it and turn it into a sad joke instead.

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Dear NathanJ,

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The census of 2021 found that over the previous 50 years, there had been a steady decline in the proportion of Australians who reported an affiliation with Christianity.

However, the same period had seen a consistent rise in other religions as well as in no religion, particularly in the previous 20 years.

In 2021 the most common religions were:

• Christianity (43.9%) – [compared to 52.1% in 2016]
• No religion (38.9%)
• Islam (3.2%)
• Hinduism (2.7%)
• Buddhism (2.4%)

The decline in Christianity in Australia is considered to be due to several interrelated factors :

1. Sociological Changes: Improvements in education and prosperity have contributed to a shift away from traditional religious beliefs.

2. Institutional Issues: Scandals, such as the child abuse crisis within the church, have led to a loss of trust and credibility.

3. Cultural Shifts: There is a broader trend of declining religious affiliation in Western societies, with many Australians identifying as non-religious.

Secularism is not atheism. It recognises all religions and treats them all equally. Secularism is simply the separation of church and state.

Its origins can be found in the bible : Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17 and Luke 20:25 :

Jesus said : "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s"

Australia is neither 100% secular nor 100% theocratic. It is something between the two. It has been described as “having a principle of state neutrality, or equal treatment, when dealing with religion” – but, its neutrality has been called into question as it has, on occasion, favoured Christianity – and continues to do so, e.g., all Australian parliaments currently feature some form of Christian prayers either said or read at the commencement of each parliamentary session.

Here is an article on the separation of church and state in Australia :

http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2001/05/hogan.html

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Hi Nathan,

There is no evidence that a religious society is in anyway better than a secular society. In fact the evidence is just the opposite. In earlier times when Christianity was dominant in western society, were the majority of people better off? No, religion and it dogmatism and hierarchy of control, subjugated people, and restricted their lives, impoverished them. Today, in religious based societies, are people better off, or is religion used as a method of control, I think the answer is obvious. Religion is a carrot on a stick, it offers false hope of the better life in the ever after, which doesn't exists. Can you honestly say religious people are in someway better than, non-religious people. Are atheists less kind, less forgiving, less violent than the religious, me thinks not. Its what in a person heart that matters, not a belief in a Sky Being, or a magical utopia somewhere out in the Cosmos, those beliefs are simply nonsense, and add nothing to human existence.

Dear Paul,

«There is no evidence that a religious society is in anyway better than a secular society.»

To begin with, there is no evidence that those who claim to be religious are indeed religious - often that is not the case.
When was there ever a large-scale religious society that we could compare with?

«Are atheists less kind, less forgiving, less violent than the religious, me thinks not.»

Quite possibly then that atheists are overall more religious than those who claim to be.

«Its what in a person heart that matters, not a belief in a Sky Being»

Well you just said it yourself!

Hi Yuyutsu,

I have a great deal of interaction with people who claim to be 'Christian", pious folk, devote etc go to church every Sunday, pray to the Lord, involve themselves in church affairs. I call many of them "candle stick polishers", because that is what Christianity is to them, seen to be seen, Me-Me's who use religion as a social out. One woman I know is very involved in church affairs, is she a Christian, in my opinion no, the church is no more than a power trip, outside the confines, she is a nobody, inside she is god. Others not noticed are far more Christian in what they DO, more than what they SAY!

Dear Paul,

I fully agree: one who claims to be a Christian may not necessarily be a Christian, nor religious.

Banjo Paterson (first reply),

<<The census of 2021 found that over the previous 50 years, there had been a steady decline in the proportion of Australians who reported an affiliation with Christianity.>>

The census can reveal whatever it likes, but it does not show the need that the status quo cannot remain.

<<However, the same period had seen a consistent rise in other religions as well as in no religion, particularly in the previous 20 years..... and a decline in Christianity....>>

No one, including myself is saying this matter is focused around a decline in Christianity alone. It would be an irresponsible approach, knowing this matter is a very complex one, that being the need to move to a non secular society.

Such a move will take time, has to be based on the natural movement of individuals. You can't force people into something they don't want. Plus people going down such a pathway have to know what they want at the end of the day. You need to have a reason for moving forward to achieve good outcomes.

I'm not sure what improvements in education, prosperity, alongside institutional issues and cultural shifts mean here. They are just things. They don't get to issues, that being the loss of values, principles and ethics.

It must also be noted there are still many doing poorly education wise and many poorly in terms of prosperity.

<<Secularism is not atheism. It recognises all religions and treats them all equally. Secularism is simply the separation of church and state.>>

When one considers the small numbers of members political parties have it is perfectly fair that faith based organisations (and those not) have input in our political system, including in policies. Not to everyone's liking, but if we are going to be forced to accept a political system and feel compelled to vote, it is fair and reasonable all can participate.

The reading of the Lord's Prayer at the start of a parliamentary sitting is also somewhat token, considering the actual activity of politicians in parliament much of it cruel and hurtful to individuals.

NathanJ,

You appear to be incredibly confused. You’re grieving for a level of unity and like-mindedness that never existed, then blaming its loss on an "aggressive" principal that as if it were anti-religious rather than a-religious.

Describing a move away from religiosity (assuming it was even deliberate and calculated) as "aggressively secular" makes about as much sense as saying that a healthy person is "aggressively asymptomatic."

You say we need to move away from secularism and toward a society rooted in religious tradition - but you also say you’re not religious, you don’t want to impose religion, and the change should come “naturally.” So… which is it? A cultural shift? A policy platform? A vague hope?

You acknowledge that Christianity is declining, but say this isn’t about Christianity. Then what is it about? Islam? Hinduism? New Age spirituality? You never say. It sounds like you’re not advocating for a religion, just for the warm, fuzzy idea of religion, as if it’s a kind of moral incense we should all breathe in.

You wave off census data showing people are leaving religion, then say this shift should happen organically and through individual choice. But that’s already happening. People are choosing. And they’re choosing less religion. So how does that support your argument?

You claim secularism has led to a loss of ethics, but you never explain how. Morality grounded in empathy, human rights, and reason isn’t lesser just because it isn’t wearing a clerical collar. In fact, some of the greatest social progress came despite religious opposition, not because of it.

Dear John,

«The census can reveal whatever it likes»

Indeed - I refused to answer that question about my religion.

It is my understanding that government uses the census-responses to allocate money proportionally to [so-called-]religious organisations: I don't want any tax-payer money to be given on my behalf to such organisations - that money can only [further] corrupt the recipients!

«People are choosing. And they’re choosing less religion.»

People are only choosing to move away from ORGANISED [what-mistakenly-passes-for-]religion. This is good, then once no longer bound by dead-wood, some of them will be free to move further towards religion itself.