The Influence that Christianity had on Public Morality and education in Australia throughout the years of 1788-1901.

Essay by tim999High School, 12th gradeA+, July 2003

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Christianity had a significant impact on education and public morality in Australia whin the years of 1788-1900. In relation to public morality, I discuss the significance that the Christian church had on Australian society in the 1800's by the establishing of the Temperance movement as well as several other actions involving education.

The temperance movement was dedicated to promoting moderation and, more often, complete abstinence in the use of intoxicating liquor. Although an abstinence pledge had been introduced by churches as early as 1800, the earliest temperance organizations seem to have been those founded at Saratoga, New York, in 1808 and in Massachusetts in 1813. The movement spread rapidly under the influence of the churches

One can see the effect that Christianity had, had on the Australian education system when, a system was set up separate from the state government. First settlers emphasised that they wanted to leave all religious divisions (i.e.

through culture, mind, and violence) in Britain. They thought that any ties between "church and state" should be eradicated and thus support churches over the state. Subsequently, with numerous denominations (of Christianity) supporting this idea, their strong sentiment towards education, and it, itself being lead by the church, were dually satisfied by the granting of financial aid to the major religious groups, including the Church of England.

Denominations of separate, individual churches used this aid to maximise their religious and educational influence. The governor of the government later extended the state financial aid and attempted to introduce government schools based on the national system in his native Ireland. However, non-Anglican Protestants, who had formed in 1835 a society for promoting schools where the Bible would be a basis for general education, insisted on its wider use in the proposed national schools than was permitted in the Irish system.