Under the slogan, ‘If you’re not religious, for God’s sake say so!’, the Humanist Society of Queensland (HSQ) has launched a campaign ahead of the next Australian census, due to take place on the 9th of August, 2011. The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the impact and possible outcomes of the non-religious population not being accurately recorded by the Census.
HSQ has stated that up-to-date the Census data on religion is giving a misleading picture of religiosity in Australia. For a start, the census question regarding religious affiliation is structurally biased, it encourages people to identify as religious. The Christian category in particular could be significantly overstated. Many Australians who do not attend church and who would not class themselves as religious nevertheless identify as Christian due to a cultural affiliation.
This would not be a problem if policy makers accepted the results from the Census simply as an indicator of broad cultural affiliation. However most people do not realise that by ticking a “Christian” box rather ticking the “No Religion” box – one which may more accurately identify them – they have contributed to data which is used to justify policy making decisions which privilege religion. Often Census information is used to defend policy and funding decisions such as the introduction of the National Schools Chaplaincy Program, tax exemption for religious organisations and government funding of private religious schools.
HSQ holds that if the religion question on the Census required people to write the name of the religion they practice, instead of simply ticking a box of options provided – a very different picture could emerge. Importantly, in 1994 the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) stated that, “It is important to note that the religion with which people identify is recorded, the census does not measure the extent of their involvement or commitment.”
The campaign urges non-religious Australians to take a moment and carefully consider the implications of identifying as religious when they are in fact not. Flawed Census data on religion is used to justify a host of policies which ignore the real demographics of today’s Australia.
What can you do? Please visit our campaign website and share it as widely as possible. Most importantly on Census night, if you are not religious - for God's sake say so!
Under the slogan, ‘If you’re not religious, for God’s sake say so!’, the Humanist Society of Queensland (HSQ) has launched a campaign ahead of the next Australian census, due to take place on the 9th of August, 2011. The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the impact and possible outcomes of the non-religious population not being accurately recorded by the Census.
HSQ has stated that up-to-date the Census data on religion is giving a misleading picture of religiosity in Australia. For a start, the census question regarding religious affiliation is structurally biased, it encourages people to identify as religious. The Christian category in particular could be significantly overstated. Many Australians who do not attend church and who would not class themselves as religious nevertheless identify as Christian due to a cultural affiliation.
This would not be a problem if policy makers accepted the results from the Census simply as an indicator of broad cultural affiliation. However most people do not realise that by ticking a “Christian” box rather ticking the “No Religion” box – one which may more accurately identify them – they have contributed to data which is used to justify policy making decisions which privilege religion. Often Census information is used to defend policy and funding decisions such as the introduction of the National Schools Chaplaincy Program, tax exemption for religious organisations and government funding of private religious schools.
HSQ holds that if the religion question on the Census required people to write the name of the religion they practice, instead of simply ticking a box of options provided – a very different picture could emerge. Importantly, in 1994 the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) stated that, “It is important to note that the religion with which people identify is recorded, the census does not measure the extent of their involvement or commitment.”
The campaign urges non-religious Australians to take a moment and carefully consider the implications of identifying as religious when they are in fact not. Flawed Census data on religion is used to justify a host of policies which ignore the real demographics of today’s Australia.
What can you do? Please visit our campaign website and share it as widely as possible. Most importantly on Census night, if you are not religious - for God's sake say so!