Australia is not Godzone

Australia is one of the world's least religious countries, according to an international survey carried out by the European Bertelsmann Foundation.

Australia is not Godzone

Australia is one of the world's least religious countries, according to an international survey carried out by the European Bertelsmann Foundation.

The Religion Monitor survey found that although two-thirds of Australians identify themselves as Christians, religion plays an important role in the minds and everyday lives of only a minority.

Twenty-eight percent of Australians see themselves as not at all religious, with religious practices and beliefs barely featuring in their lives. A similar number classify themselves as deeply religious (25 percent) while 44 percent of Australians say they consider themselves religious but that religion does not play a central role in their lives.

Forty-eight percent of Australians do not pray and 52 percent never or very seldom visit a church, mosque, synagogue or temple for religious reasons.

Thirty-one percent of Australians do not believe in God or a divine power or in life after death.

Religion scored lower than all other parts of daily life, with 50 percent of Australians considering religion the least important aspect when compared to family, partners, work/career, leisure time and politics.

In terms of religiousness, Australia was ranked number 17 out of the 21 nations polled. The only countries to show less interest in religion were Russia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. 

In Australia, religion is strongest amongst Pentecostal Protestants and Charismatic Movements.

Religious belief in Australia is also very much a women's thing. While 34 percent of Australian women are deeply religious, the proportion of deeply religious men is less than half that figure (16 percent).

There is also a wide generation gap when it comes to the importance of religion. In the over 60 age group, 40 percent are deeply religious and 37 percent are religious. In the younger age groups, only half that number considers themselves deeply religious.

However 72 percent of Australia's young adults believe in God or a divine power and/or in life after death - this is even more than in the over 60 age group and flies in the face of the assumption that religious belief is dwindling.

Australians also have a largely positive perception of God, viewing God as a loving, kind-hearted being. The most frequent feelings they associate with God are gratitude, hope, happiness and love - followed by security, help, awe and justice.

The majority of religious Australians are not just "Sunday Christians or believers". Their belief is highly relevant to their everyday lives. Their belief influences the upbringing of children the most, coming next is religion's role in supporting occasions such as births, weddings and deaths. At third place is the role that people's religious beliefs play in how they treat nature.

In contrast, religion has much less influence over sexuality, leisure time and work and it has the least influence on people's political views.

As in other industrialised countries, there is a clear trend in Australia towards a "patchwork" belief structure, one comprised of individual interpretations and belief models drawn from different faiths. 

Further information may be found at www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de and at www.religionsmonitor.de. On the latter site users can compile their own individual religious profile and compare it with the average values for their country.