Current Staus of Religion in Australia
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“Religion is embedded in the Australian way of life.
This is reflected in the attitudes and actions of the Australian people.”
Australia as a nation was founded on a Christian system of belief. While we may no longer be a solely Christian nation, and much of the pressure to be a very religious person has been lifted with time, we can still see these religious roots in much of Australian life today.
Many traditions that we may not even think about can be traced back to that Christian influence. The most obvious of these being the holidays that are celebrated in Australia. Christmas – The birth of Christ, and Easter – The death and resurrection of Christ. A lot of people still attend church services on these days, even if they are not regular church goers.
Another religious tradition that still stands strong, is marriage as we know it in Australia. Marriage is a very traditional and sacred occasion. Many people will hold the service in a church and be wed by a priest, which follows that sacred tradition. There is a huge importance placed on the absolute devotion to each other when getting married, and is a given that people only have one partner, ideally for the rest of their lives. This may seem like common sense, but there are many countries around the world where their religious traditions allow men to have many wives.
The laws on divorce also reflect that underlying Christian value, making it not such a simple act to be divorced quickly and without thought. Another law to look at in Australia is those preventing gay marriage. Despite the open and free times we live in, this is still illegal, along with other countries founded on strict religious systems. The idea of gay marriage going against Christian values has held through the years, as has the importance and longevity of marriage.
These days, however, it is difficult to expect everyone’s lives to be influenced by a Christian set of religious traditions, especially in such a multi-cultural