Lucknow’s St John the Evangelist Anglican Church sells for $430,000

“Lucknow’s 147-year-old bluestone church was tipped to draw a crowd on auction day, and even with COVID-19 restrictions, that’s exactly what it did. …”

– from The Central Western Daily. (subscription)

A Call to Change the Census — Phillip Jensen

At last, I was chosen to be in a sample! I always wonder about polls and samples; I know lots of people but so few of them are ever part of a sample. But this time the Australian Bureau of Statistics chose my suburb to test out the 2021 Census.

So dutifully on the 29th of October I and those in my household answered all the questions about those who were with us that night (namely ourselves). It was magnificently simple, easy to follow and all done on-line. It collected up the basic information of the community, which will help research and policy makers to understand the nature of the Australian community.

All of this except the question on religion – for whether it’s intended to or not, it will deceive by unjustifiably claiming to present information that it has not acquired. In other words; it’s a sham!

The question on religion gave multiple choice answers organised by ‘no religion’, denomination of choice and religion of choice. The top billing went to ‘no religion’ which was separated by a line before the denominations and religions were listed. The religions and denominations were listed in what seemed a random fashion, though I suspect it was a descending order of popularity from last census. So Catholic and Anglican were the top two and others like Hindus and Baptists were further down the list. With finally a box to indicate any other religion not on the random list.

At one level it can appear that it is a fair question. All the options are available plus an alternative to indicate another religion if they haven’t provided for your religion explicitly. But you don’t need a degree in research science to perceive the biases in the order of the listing. Nor do you need a degree in religious studies to see the inaccuracy of confusing denominations with religions.

Personally, I find census information very useful and I’m glad our nation in its research and policy decision making has reliable and trustworthy information about our changing population. As a person deeply involved in religion, I’m particularly interested in religious statistics, as I’m sure are other ‘religious practitioners’. The decline of the old European denominations of Christianity is important to measure, not just for the political joy of atheists, but for the real understanding of anybody interested in religion or Australia. It may disappoint people to see their community declining but accurate accounting of reality is far more important than feelings of disappointment.

However, half a story is worse than no story – especially when the half that is given comes with the authority and apparent thoroughness of the government bureau of statistics. It leads to falsehood in journalistic writing (fairly common in the area of religion), bad decisions in policy and wrong actions amongst religious communities. Everybody loses when the facts are misrepresented by sloppy collection of data.

The question of religion is not so much which denomination you belong to as to which religion: Buddhist, Christian, Hindu or Islam. To only ask about Christian denominations, ignores the possibly more important distinctions between Sunni and Shia in the Muslim community. Within Australia there is a growing number of active Christians who have no denominational connection or interest. 

With 30% identifying as ‘no religion’ in 2016 it is important to clarify the meaning of the term. Some today claim they are ‘spiritual’ but not religious, others that they are agnostic or disinterested and still others are atheists. To lump them together while differentiating Christians down to denominations of less than 1% gives a very distorted view of our society and its recent developments.

A complaint without an alternative is easy to make but not particularly helpful. So, let me recommend to the Bureau the following:

1 That all options, including ‘no religion’ be presented alphabetically.

2 That the basic question be divided between

a Buddhist

b Christian

c Hindu

d Islam

e Judaism

f No religion

g Other

3 That denominations (including Islamic denominations) and no-religion alternatives (atheist, agnostic, no interest, spiritual) be made into sub-questions flowing from these main religious groupings.

It is important in Census work that the stability of the questions enable comparisons from one census to the next, especially to be able to see trends. What I am suggesting would enable those comparisons to be made. But it is more important that we are comparing realistic snapshots of society.  Furthermore, when society changes, as religion in a now multicultural society inevitably has, that the questions seek out the new reality rather than archaically repeating yesterday’s concerns.

As a Christian, I am concerned for the truth. Of course, I would like to see Christianity growing in Australia. But that has to be a reality not a wish or a distorted Census report. Reality is what the Census should provide. But at the moment, if the Bureau continues with its sample census, we will not have reality but half-truths and distortions that are impossible to usefully evaluate.

– Phillip Jensen.

Down to the Brass Tacks

“Now that Election Day has passed, your Curmudgeon feels free to comment on the current mess, since all the usual suspects have shown their cards and taken their predictable stances on the very predictable result of the Presidential race. …”

– A. S. Haley, “the Anglican Curmudgeon” (and a Christian lawyer) comments of the current state of the U.S. Presidential election.

While he does share his own opinions, it may be of help to Australian readers to understand the constitutional issues involved. (And a matter for prayer.)

Related:

Albert Mohler addresses the election fallout in his The Briefing for Monday 9th November 2020.

Seasonal Thanksgiving

“The road from Moree to Collarenebri was unusually busy.

As the miners’ dusty dreams are carried from the beneath the ground, harvester dust was in the air as their GPS’s plotted the gathering of a wealth unseen through the previous 6 years of drought. The tourists seem to vanish with the heat but our western towns seemed busy as the diesel pumps worked overtime to keep the grain moving…”

– Bishop of Armidale, Rick Lewers, gives thanks.

Ashley Null and “Performance Identity”

From GAFCON:

A “fascinating interview with Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null who shares his work, experiences and insights from working with performance driven athletes in his audiobook, ‘Performance Identity.’

It is a point of reassurance to know, ‘there’s nothing we can do for God to love us less and nothing we can do to make him love us.’

Dr Ashley Null is joined by Abishai Auta Gaiya and Ernie Didot, Gafcon Communications Director.”

Watch here.

New Vice Principal of Moore College

“The Moore College Principal, Dr Mark Thompson, has … announced that the current Vice Principal, Dr Colin Bale, will conclude his service in that role at the end of 2020. Dr Bale will continue to serve as a member of the Moore College faculty until he retires in the second half of 2021. …

This decision has led to the need to appoint a new Vice Principal, and Dr Thompson announced that he had asked the Rev Dr Simon Gillham to take up that office. …”

– News, last week, from Moore College.

Preparing for Death

“Life is about preparation!

I was in 4th class at Clovelly Public School and our teacher, Mr DeRago, told us that he was getting us ready for our final exams. I thought that was amazing since our finals, the Leaving Certificate exams, were still 7 years away.

Apprenticeships are about preparation; all education is preparation; curacies are preparation. We have seminars for preparing for marriage, parenting, and now I am attending retirement seminars.

What next? Death must be in the mix of what’s next, but who runs seminars on preparing to die?…”

– David Cook writes at The Expository Preaching Trust.

(Picture: St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)

A Review of God’s Design For Women

In 2002, I read a book called God’s Design For Women: Biblical Womanhood for Today, by Sharon James, an English thinker, writer, ministry practitioner and a social policy analyst. It gathered into one book all the good things that I believed about men and women, and which I thought were important for others to investigate. I recommended it, lent it and gave it away countless times.

But it was written 18 years ago – before some of the young women I am currently engaging with, were born! So it was a delight, last year, to see that Dr James had, in her words, “rewritten the book to take account of current cultural trends, including the increasing confusion about gender ’identity’. I have also extended the scope to include what is happening beyond my own country.”

– At Equal But Different, Lesley Ramsay shares her review of an important book.

Singing and Not-Singing in COVID Season

“Of all the restrictions necessitated by the COVID pandemic, one of the most frustrating, at least for most Christians, is not being able to sing together – either because we’re unable to meet together or because it’s not deemed safe for us to do so even if we are able to be together. Of course, not being able to sing together hasn’t killed us, and it won’t. But it has deprived and diminished us and, understandably, is deeply painful to many. …”

– Rob Smith writes at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

Also published at Latimer Trust.

See also:

Review: Come, Let Us Sing – Christopher Idle, at Church Society.

(Image: Rob Smith at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, courtesy Anglican Media Sydney.)

NAIDOC Week 2020 video from Macarthur Indigenous Church

Via SydneyAnglicans.net, here’s a video celebrating Naidoc Week 2020 with the Macarthur Indigenous Church.

Southern Seminary mourns Nick Challies

From Albert Mohler at Southern Seminary, where Tim Challies’ son Nick had been studying at Boyce College:

“Nick Challies, a wonderful, kind, loving, young Christian full of life, went to be with the Lord last night. Here is a word from his father’s grief-stricken heart. Please pray for Tim and Aileen Challies and their family.”

Yes, keep them in your prayers.

Photo: Tim Challies, when visiting Sydney in 2018.

Albert Mohler on US Election Day

In his daily “The Briefing”, Albert Mohler shares his analysis for US Election Day, Tuesday 3rd November 2020.

See also:

Three Ways to be a Christian on Election Day – For the Church.

Sponsor a Bible college student

“This unique program gives Australian Christians the opportunity to sponsor an emerging leader from a developing country to receive culturally appropriate training at a trusted Bible college.

You can choose to sponsor a student as an individual, family, Bible study group, or Church.

By sponsoring a student you will enable a future pastor to be fully prepared to defend the truth of the gospel and faithfully share the good news with their nation.”

– A wonderful initiative from Anglican Aid.

See also:

A new twist on sponsorship – back a Bible student – SydneyAnglicans.net.

Bishop Gary Nelson: “The furthest church from me is a 6000-kilometre return drive.”

“The Diocese of North West Australia is so large it could easily fit in the whole UK three times over – reaching from Geraldton on the coast to Kununurra on the border of the Northern Territory.

A population of 150,000 is scattered across 2 million square kilometres, and Bishop Gary Nelson and his team work hard to share the gospel with each person who passes through the world’s largest land-based Anglican diocese.“

– Encouragement to pray, from SydneyAnglicans.net.

In the US – Winter is coming: COVID-19 forces hard choices for Churches

“TGC asked five pastors how they’ve been using the relative safety of outdoors, how the weather is a challenge, and how they’re thinking creatively about the changing seasons…”

– A good reminder to pray for churches in the northern hemisphere as the weather gets colder.

Image: Sam Ferguson, Falls Church Anglican, Virginia.

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