Australia prepares for census: will numbers of believers & atheists both grow?

[biro]

The data from Australia's upcoming census is expected to reflect some interesting trends. In the last survey, in 2006, there was a jump in the numbers of atheists. However, there was also a rise in the numbers of Orthodox Christians, other churches and the Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim faiths.

From the article:

Across the whole population, 63.9 per cent identified as Christian, 5.6 per cent were non-Christian, 18.7 per cent had no religion, 11.2 per cent did not state their beliefs and 0.7 per cent of answers were inadequately described.

[akimori makoto]

The data suggests that the generic "white people" are becoming either progressively more atheistic or hyper-Christian. The growth in the non-Christian religions (and even the "ethnic" expressions of Christianity) is almost entirely due to immigration.

It seems that lukewarm and the nominal Christians are disappearing, becoming either more zealous for Christian faith or embracing atheism and agnosticism.

Forigve my use of potentially offensive terms -- I haven't had my three cans of energy drink yet and I can't be politically correct without energy drink.

[JamesRottnek]

I personally am glad that lukewarm and nominal Christians aren't calling themselves Christians, in Australia.  I think that when you have a whole bunch of people who do nothing, or next to nothing, about their alleged faith, but still claim it, it keeps potential enquirers away because they see no difference in the lives of the "Christians" from the lives of the agnostics and atheists.  Of course, I would much prefer all of them become zealous for Christ - ideally in an Apostolic church (or The Church) - as opposed to leaving faith altogether.  I would hope they at least would adopt something like Judaism or Islam if they must leave the realm of what is commonly called Christianity.

[celticfan1888]

Religion by age in 2006 census

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