When Religion Declines

One of the most striking developments in Australian society in recent decades has been the sharp decline in religious belief and observance, especially among the various denominations of Christianity. This decline in Australia has been mirrored throughout the Western world. This has occurred at a time when there have been extraordinary and unprecedented changes in attitudes towards social behaviour, especially sexuality, in the direction of greater liberality. One key question which may be asked of these changes is if either caused the other, a question whose answer may not be straightforward. An even more important question is what effect the decline of religion will have on Western democracy and on the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of Western civilisation itself.

We have apparently accurate statistics about the decline of religion in Australia from the federal censuses, which are held every five years and which have always included a non-compulsory question about the…