An ongoing controversy over a question in Australia’s upcoming census raises interesting questions about religious belief, identity, and practice. Some form of the current wording of the question, ‘What is the person’s religion?’ has appeared in every Australian census since 1911. An earlier version of the question read, ‘What is the person’s religious denomination?’
In earlier counts, participants in the census could write in their answers. However, by the 1990s, they were given a list of common denominations to choose from, as well as boxes for “no religion” and a place to fill in an “Other” option.
In the most recent census, only 38% of respondents listed “no religion.” However, a national survey conducted the same year by the National Secular Lobby resulted in 54% of the public saying they had no religion. The discrepancy led some observers to speculate that respondents to the census question believe they are being asked about the religious identity of their childhood, not their current religious practice or belief.
A campaign was launched to change the question to “Does this person have a religion?” with an option to check “yes” or “no.” Only respondents who checked “yes” would then be asked further questions.
The change was initially adopted and set to go into effect with this year’s census, which will take place on August 11. However, the old question was reinstated after the Australian government received pushback from religious groups, including the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
This has led to a public relations campaign by atheist groups that educates and encourages nonreligious Australians to choose “no religion” on this year’s census. The “No Religion” campaign appeals to inclusion, diversity, and a fair distribution of public funding in their efforts for a more accurate census. “An accurate count means resources follow the population as it actually is, not as it was a generation ago,” their website reads.
Broader Implications
In what may be a surprise to some in a country where religious (and nonreligious) identity is such a core element of our public dialogue, the United States has never asked its residents to identify a religion in its census. In the mid-20th century, the U.S. Census Bureau pushed back on calls to insert a religious identity question, citing concerns it would reduce participation in the census. And in 1976, Congress passed a law forbidding any future additions of a religious identity question.
Because of this, measuring religious identity in the United States has remained in the purview of nongovernmental research groups, such as Pew Research Center and Public Religion Research Institute.
Beyond the recording of official statistics, however, Australia’s census controversy raises important questions about religious identity and how it is understood by religious and nonreligious people alike. Is your religion what you believe, what you practice, or a group you identify with? Can it be just one, or must all elements be in place for you to be considered religious?
The fact that many within the most influential religious group in the U.S., Protestant evangelicalism, often teach that Christianity shouldn’t count as a religion (because it’s a “relationship”), further complicates this matter.
Although it isn’t a question we ask on the census, the power brokers fueling national political campaigns certainly keep their fingers on the pulse of religious identity. So it’s a worthy question for us to return to continually.
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Senior Editor at Good Faith Media.