2021 Census shows changes in Australia’s religious diversity

“The 2021 Census has revealed increasing diversity in the religions Australians identified, reflecting continuing changes in our social attitudes and belief systems.

Christianity is the most common religion in Australia, with over 40 per cent (43.9 per cent) identifying as Christian. This has reduced from over 50 per cent (52.1 per cent) in 2016 and from over 60 per cent (61.1 per cent) in 2011. As in earlier Censuses, the largest Christian denominations are Catholic (20.0 per cent of the population) and Anglican (9.8 per cent). …”

– The latest media release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reminds us that there is plenty of scope to share the saving message of Jesus Christ.

ACT Discrimination Law Reforms Narrow Religious Freedom

“The Australian Capital Territory government has released an Exposure Draft of a Bill to amend that jurisdiction’s Discrimination Act 1991 (“DA”). They have invited public comment by 1 July 2022.

As key protections for religious freedom in Australia are often found in “balancing clauses” in discrimination legislation, it is always worth keeping an eye on reforms to these laws.

Sadly, these proposed reforms will significantly narrow religious freedom protections in the ACT. …”

– Associate Professor Neil Foster takes a look at proposed law reforms in the ACT.

Religious Freedom Challenges for Theological Colleges in Australia

Associate Professor Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia:

“I am presenting a paper to a seminar for senior leaders in Australian theological colleges, dealing with religious freedom challenges.

I comment briefly on some of the current protections provided, but also how those protections have been eroded recently, especially in Victoria (where amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) which I previously commented on have now commenced.)

A copy of the paper can be downloaded here.”

(Image: Diocese of Sydney.)

Honoured for fostering love

“North Shore couple Carolyn and David Stedman, who have fostered 74 children, are among several Sydney Anglicans honoured in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours…”

– SydneyAnglicans.net has the story.

Image: Seven’s Sunrise via Anglican Media Sydney.

Quiz Worx would be glad of your support

Quiz Worx is running their 2022 End-of-Financial-Year Appeal – to help them share Jesus with kids everywhere – using puppetry, music, drama, stories and fun. They have been such a blessing to so many.

See their website to learn more of what Quiz Worx does.

Click the image above for a larger version.

Download their appeal video from this link.

A message for Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week

The Rev. Michael Duckett, who leads Macarthur Indigenous Church, has shared a prayer and video message for Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week.

The video could be downloaded for use in church.

“As God’s people, and as his church, we have the responsibility to be ambassadors of reconciliation. So I want to encourage us … that we would be bringing the true message of reconciliation to this country.”

Read and watch at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Unborn babies have taken another battering in Victoria today

Here’s a media release from The Australian Christian Lobby, 24 May 2022 –

“Commenting on Bernie Finn’s expulsion from the Victorian Liberal Party today, the Australian Christian Lobby’s (ACL) National Director, Wendy Francis, said,

“Abortions are only going to increase whilst pro-life speech is regarded as disrespectful, particularly when it applies to politicians who have the capacity to vote and change laws on life issues. Media reports indicate that Bernie Finn’s commitment to ‘pray for an end to abortion’ was the final straw for the Party who voted to expel him from their ranks today.”

Whilst, sadly, pro-life speech such as this will always sound disrespectful to those that don’t want to hear it, advocating for the child in the womb is perfectly respectful. It’s encouraging to witness  a new, young, pro-life generation rising up around the globe.

“The Liberal Party of Victoria has seriously underestimated the impact this move has had on their pro-life conservative base,” Ms Francis continued. “It will be a tough journey for them to regain their confidence in the leadup to the State election in November.

“Freedom of thought, worship, speech and association are basic tenets of the Liberal Party of Australia. And yet, today, a democratically elected member has been expelled from the Liberal Party of Victoria for exercising these very rights.”

Election survey probes parties on faith freedom

“A survey of political parties and candidates on their attitude to religious discrimination has revealed varying levels of support – and in some cases, no support – for measures to ensure religious freedom. …”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net writes about the religiousdiscriminationsurvey.au website.

Related:

The Australian Christian Lobby (not associated with the Anglican Church League – we just have the same initials) has produced a page of “various documents and videos to help you make an informed choice on Election Day”, including this page where they share the answers given to their questionnaire in each electorate as well as each candidate for the Senate.

And not forgetting the call to pray –

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-6.

Freedom22 – National Conference 2022

It’s just a week to the Freedom for Faith: Freedom22 Conference in Parramatta:

“Religious Freedom in Australia has reached a crisis point.

The promised protections in the Federal Religious Discrimination Bill have been put on hold, and new State laws have removed several religious freedom rights from faith communities.

These new issues include unprecedented intrusions into prayer, unsympathetic treatment of conscience exemptions, reduced employment rights for religious schools, and a troubling surge in discrimination cases against Jewish, Muslim and other minority faith groups.

Will there be room for authentic expression of faith in Australia’s future?

Register for the Freedom22 National Conference on May 3 at Parramatta’s Park Royal Hotel to hear our distinguished speakers explain the content and consequences of these laws, as well as how we arrived at this cultural moment.

The Freedom22 speakers are:

Book via the Freedom for Faith website.

ePetition: “Please unanimously reject the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021”

In order to oppose and stop the passage of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 through the NSW Legislative Council, an ePetition has now been launched.

The text reads:.

“To the President and Members of the Legislative Council, the petitioners of New South Wales state that that they are completely opposed to the passage of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021, in any form, which provides for state sanctioned/funded assisted suicide/euthanasia.

A cornerstone of our legal system is that ALL human life has inherent value and must be treated with dignity and respect. The petitioners request that the House unanimously oppose the bill, in any form, and reject it.”

The ePetition can be accessed via the Legislative Council’s ePetitions page.

Those signing the ePetition need to declare that they are a resident of New South Wales.

The ePetition closes on 25th April 2022. 

Related:

Kevin Conolly, MP for Riverstone, explains the NSW euthanasia bill – AP.

Kevin Conolly explains the NSW euthanasia bill – part 2.

GAFCON Australasia Conference 2022 set for August

The GAFCON Australasia 2022 Conference is planned for 15-18 August.

See the website for details and booking.

Winding up order issued for Christian Democratic Party

“A winding-up order to dissolve Fred Nile’s Christian Democratic Party (CDP) has been issued by Justice Black of the NSW Supreme Court. …”

– Report from Eternity News.

The story of the Bible in Australasia, 1788-1850

Dr Meredith Lake, author of The Bible in Australia: a cultural history, is speaking on “The story of the Bible in Australasia, 1788-1850” on Wednesday 6th April at Moore College.

– Details here.

Religious Discrimination Bill stalled by hasty amendments — Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney Media Statement

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Media Statement

Religious Discrimination Bill stalled by hasty amendments

We are deeply disappointed that the passage of the Religious Discrimination Bill has been stalled. People of faith have been waiting for this since 2018, and there seems to be broad agreement on both sides of the House that legal protection against discrimination on the basis of religious belief is necessary and long overdue.

It is regrettable that the passage of the Religious Discrimination Bill – which is about Religious Discrimination, and Religious Discrimination only – is being held hostage to rushed changes to the Sex Discrimination Act relating to students.

There have been claims that religious schools are harming trans and gay students and further claims that they want the legal right to do so. This is the opposite of what happens.  Religious schools provide exceptional pastoral care to all students (which is one of the reasons why parents choose to send their children to these schools).

Many MPs seem to have given scant regard to how to protect those of religious faith and the positive contribution of individuals, churches and religious organisations to the community. Instead, the central intent of the bill has been overshadowed and derailed by the discussion of the exemptions section of s38(3) of the Sex Discrimination Act.

As we have seen from hasty amendments made in the middle of last night, this issue is complex, which is why it was referred to the Australian Law Reform Commission to address. Nevertheless, if the removal of s.38(3) is the only means by which the Bill can progress, we call on the government and opposition to work together to resolve the technical issues and bring this matter to a resolution before the next Federal election.

People of religious faith in Australia, of all beliefs and backgrounds, deserve the equal protection that such a bill was intended to give. The benevolent religious organisations they have established and maintain also need the stability that well-considered legislation would provide. There is goodwill on our part to proceed and we call for a bipartisan approach that would progress this very important Bill.

Bishop Michael Stead, Chair, Religious Freedom Reference Group and Bishop of South Sydney 

February 10, 2022.

Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Government “shelves religious freedom bill indefinitely”

From ABC News, 1:22pm:

“The government has indefinitely shelved its bid to overhaul religious freedom laws, leaving one of the Coalition’s central 2019 election commitments hanging in uncertainty.

After a marathon sitting of the House of Representatives, where laws passed early on Thursday, the government failed to bring the matter on for debate in the Senate.

Coalition sources have confirmed the government is all but guaranteed not to bring it back for debate when the Senate next sits in March.

That is because the government does not want further debate about religious freedoms to hijack its plans to sell a pre-election budget.”

– Source.

Update: The Australian Christian Lobby’s Martyn Iles gave his take on the events of the day in this video.

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