Christianity in Australia.

Essay by ellyjeanHigh School, 11th grade July 2003

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There are currently 12.8 million practicing Christians in Australia today, making up 68% of our population. That number has been slowly but steadily decreasing since the mid 1950's and this is because Australians are turning away from traditional religions as organised Christian churches continue to be locked in the past.

Australians are turning away from organised Christian religions for many reasons but one of the major problems that Australians are finding with Christianity today, is that the churches are not offering what Australians are looking for spiritually. Today Australians are looking for an individual spiritual fulfilment, rather than an institutional religion, with rules and regulations, as well as beliefs and faith. They want individuality and think that church going and church authority are no longer necessary to sustain spirituality and faith. Australians are looking for guidance to sustain their own religious pursuit and they want to trust in the promise of a better world about to happen.

Australians have been identified as a "people who want to believe in pure love, peace, joy, beauty and they want to celebrate life." (Dr. Maurice Ryan, Australian Catholic University) Many of them feel that Christianity doesn't offer them these virtues because they feel that Christianity is a religion based on the perception of sin. "These Australians are turning away from Christianity because, although they think that science itself is not sufficient to really explain existence, they were not keen to go back to the Christian tradition with its holy books, miracles and so forth. Also I think that the need for a sense of peace has become more apparent." (Reverend Phillip Hughes, a religious researcher) Australian culture is very much based on new life and hope and so we are finding that in these changing times, the Australian people are searching for...