Losing My Religion: Unbelief in Australia

For much of its history Australia has been considered a 'Christian' nation. But with declining religious affiliation and participation, and more than 25 per cent of people without a declared religion, Australia appears to have become one of the world's most godless nations. Science has challenged theological interpretations of the natural world and provided answers to questions historically provided by religion. Rationalists welcome the apparent decline of religious belief contending that the unrestrained exercise of human reason and the thorough application of empirical inquiry will eventually lead to the demise of religious organisations. Secularists advocate banning the expression of religious beliefs in public places and ending all government support for religious groups, including financial assistance and tax concessions. But has science actually proved that God does not exist? Has rationality rendered traditional religious belief largely untenable? Have Australians really lost the religious convictions they once had? And what would it be like to live in a truly godless society? Tom Frame, one of Australia's best-known writers on religion and society, examines diminishing theological belief and declining denominational affiliation. He argues that Australia has never been a very religious nation but that few Australians have deliberately rejected belief ' most simply can't see why they need to be bothered with religion at all. He contends that vehement campaigning against theistic belief is the product of growing disdain for religious fundamentalism and a vigorous commitment to personal autonomy. This book contends that God is certainly not dead but that Australia's religious landscape will continue to change as the battle for hearts, minds and spirits continues.