Articles: Australia

Secular morality versus religious morality

Both federal and state governments require the recitation of prayers in government proceedings, promote religious doctrine in political debate, and grant financial assistance for church activities such as schools and 'charitable' activities. This disregards the rise of the UN with its 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which was specifically implemented to create a universal 'sound [public] morality' regardless of one's religion or other worldview.
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A Proposal for a Worldview Education Course in Schools

Zelda Bailey argues that "Presently in Australia teachers are labouring under a bewildering array of different approaches to worldview education across the States and Territories, especially regarding the place of Religious Instruction/Religious Education and the role of Chaplains in schools. It also does little to inform and prepare students for the diverse worldviews that exist across the world, many of which play dominant roles in contentious global issues... deeper reflection and improved self-knowledge would heighten sensitivity to the situation of others and lead to positive feelings and an appreciation of our common humanity." She offers a plan to achieve these ends.
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Factsheet on church and state in Australia

This factsheet on church and state in Australia puts it all in a nutshell from 1836, when an exasperated Australian Governor Bourke wished the churches would 'roll off state support like saturated leeches' to 2008 when Bishop Tom Frame said they must be weaned off state support and not rely on the secular state to discharge their 'heavenly charter'.
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Preventing Climate Warming a Matter of Human Rights

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2014 unequivocally confirmed that greenhouse gas emissions are the primary cause of climate change. This, it determined would result in extreme weather events and natural disasters, rising sea-levels, floods, heat waves, droughts, desertification, food and water shortages, and the spread of tropical and vector-borne diseases as some of the adverse impacts of climate change.
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Australia Faces Possible UN Censure

In May 2019 a group of eight Torres Strait Islanders, who are Australian citizens, with legal representation from Client Earth, submitted a claim to the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC). They allege that Australia is failing its legal human rights obligations to Torres Strait Islanders because it has failed to take adequate action to reduce emissions or to provide for proper adaptation measures on the islands.
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We hold that Australia is currently a ‘soft theocracy’, with the state favouring religious institutions via financial and legislative privileges.

Contact the Secular Association of NSW at info@secular-nsw.com.au.

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