The results of the survey I reported above. This survey by the way was done by a Christian organization.

http://www.olivetreemedia.com.au/resourc...ry-web.pdf

The one thing I found interesting was that 17% of Australians did not believe Jesus existed as a person.

(November 22, 2011 at 3:09 am)Willpower Wrote: It is unfortunate that many Christians fail to live up to this.

Secular values becoming enforceable law can be a bitch like that, restraining the bat-shit crazy raving fundies among you and forcing them to live lives as vitreous as possible.

Don't worry your religion will adapt and evolve just as its always done. You'll eventually get over your self-imposed vices and childish "homophobic attitudes" no differently than early Christians had to learn to tolerate their unruly children as opposed to stoning them to death.

(November 26, 2011 at 8:10 am)Justtristo Wrote: The one thing I found interesting was that 17% of Australians did not believe Jesus existed as a person.

Ye but 42% believe Sponge Bob is serving at the Crusty Crab and hope one day to place an order.

we're takin' over! that Census campaign must have had some effect!

The Australians are catching up. It's pretty handy having an atheist PM. Ours is on his 3rd. term. Now christian parties want to ban atheists from becoming PMs, so that he won't get re-elected. Cause now he's removing religion from schools and from other aspects of life. Like automatic state church membership, or prayer in schools.

So enjoy the ride. It's always fun to watch things like that play out. Hope your conservatives gets their asses handed to them.

Australia had another census recently but the figures have not been released.

At the 2006 census 18% said they had no religion

Another 12% did not answer the "religion" question.

The other 70% said they had a religion - but that included everybody from those who attend church every week, to those who haven't been to church for decades.


I have seen a survey (source forgotten) where it was claimed that only 8% of Australian Christians are regular church-goers.

I think the poll significantly understates Australia's secularism. A sample of only 1000 is far too small.Try 10,000 or more.

Quote:It is unfortunate that many Christians fail to live up to this.
It is even more unfortunate that many self-proclaimed "Christians" do not even care to attempt to live up to this doctrine.

Oh for goodness sake, the no true Scotsman,yet AGAIN.


Go and sit in the corner with Mehmet..

(November 26, 2011 at 7:34 pm)padraic Wrote: I think the poll significantly understates Australia's secularism. A sample of only 1000 is far too small.Try 10,000 or more.

With a poll with a sample of 1000 the margin of error would be similar to that of political opinion polls published in the newspapers. That would mean a margin of error of around +/- 5% or less.

(November 26, 2011 at 7:34 pm)padraic Wrote: I think the poll significantly understates Australia's secularism. A sample of only 1000 is far too small.Try 10,000 or more.

It's not so much the size of the sample (although that is important of course), it's the way the sample is selected. This article has some good info:

http://janda.org/c10/Lectures/topic05/GallupFAQ.htm

i read about this and it isn't hard to believe. a whole 1/3 of the population of new zealand doesn't claim any religious affiliation. weren't the maori the same way? i can't recall.