A push for Australians to choose “no religion” over Christianity in the upcoming 2016 Census could see the country's most popular religion being replaced and also change the way in which government policies are made and projects funded Down Under. It may be a subtle change but overseas exposure has revealed that moving the “no religion” option to the top of the list of possible responses when questioned about religious affiliation brings about a dramatic fall in the number of respondents identifying with one particular faith. The 2016 Census will be doing just that – moving the option to the top of the list of possible responses when enquiring about a respondent's religious affiliation for the first time since “no religion” was introduced as a choice in 1991. The “Catholic” option is likely to move to the second spot.

Among those advocating the “no religion” option is Atheist Foundation of Australia (AFA), which believes renewed results could have a significant impact on the way the government allocates its funds in realms of education and welfare.

“Census data is used by governments to make important funding decisions like assigning chaplains to hospitals, schools, prisons and armed services, for planning educational facilities, for aged care and other social services,” AFA president Kylie Sturgess said.

“Many of those services are run by religious-based organizations. Since the government relies on Census data to decide on funding and policy for these things, it's important the Census data is correct. Accurate Census data matters. We are a secular country, and we would like to see whether or not people are actually reflecting upon what we think is a secular country and saying yes, it truly is, and demonstrating it in Census data.”

In the previous Census, which was conducted in 2011, 4.7 million respondents or 22 percent of Australia's total population chose “no religion” or wrote down humanism, rationalism, atheism or agnosticism in the “if other, please specify” box. In that census, the “no religion” option was listed below the “if other, please specify” box. At the same time, approximately 5.4 million respondents or 25 percent of Australia's total population chose "Catholic".

Sturgess explained that the 4.7 million figure in the 2011 Census was almost twice as much as that of the previous Census, as it coincided with AFA's 2011 Mark No Religion campaign, which encouraged Australians to choose the "no religion" option.

Similar campaigns in New Zealand and the United Kingdom have revealed rising numbers of respondents in those countries choosing the "no religion" option. For instance, in New Zealand's 2006 Census, Christianity lost its position to "no religion", with the majority 42 percent choosing the latter as opposed to only 35 percent from the previous census.

This year’s change of order resulted after Australian Bureau of Statistics sought public submissions about the procedure and content for the 2016 Census. The question on religious affiliation drew the highest number of submissions, with most Australians asking for the question to be modified so as to better assess information shared by respondents with no religion.

The number of people choosing "no religion" Down Under has risen dramatically over the past 100 years – from one in 250 respondents then to one in five now. More specifically, only 10,000 respondents or 0.4 percent of Australia's total population had chosen "no religion" in 1911.

Sturgess said, “Marking ‘no religion’ doesn't automatically make respondents atheist. It just means you don't want to be labeled at all — people might find themselves not fitting in any category that is specific to religion. Now that ‘no religion’ is a prominent option on the Census paper, let's see, really, how many people are really reflecting on the issue and saying to themselves, ‘Honestly, I have left religion behind, I am no longer as observant as I used to be’ or maybe ‘I’ve never really been observant, no religion is for me’. It's entirely possible someone can tick ‘no religion’ and not identify as an atheist. There is scope in the responses for identification as an atheist — in the ‘other, please specify’ box.”

She further stated there is no reason why any religion (for instance Catholicism, which is currently listed at the top spot), should be concerned with the change.

“Why would they be upset by people being encouraged to be truthful?” Sturgess said. “I"ve worked in Catholic schools, Islamic schools, Methodist schools and I"ve actually discovered they’re quite tolerant of people being of no faith at all, I don't see why they’d be concerned. After all they’re after honesty and I’m sure they want honest Catholics ticking the Catholic box in the same way we say, if you don't find yourself that way, tick something else.”

AFA's campaign is being backed by a fundraiser, which has so far drawn over $23,000 from as many as 360 supporters.

For the first time ever, the number of secular societies in the world seems to have overtaken the number of religious ones. Even in most Islamic countries, where atheism is considered blasphemous and therefore punishable by law, there are growing signs of secularism. To top that, the end of secularism seems far from near, with Pew Research Center speculating that the nonreligious population of the world will reach the 1.2 billion mark by 2020 as opposed to 1.1 billion in 2010.

The question about religious affiliation in Australia's upcoming 2016 Census is of course optional and respondents can choose not to answer at all if they so desire. The census is scheduled to be conducted on August 9.

Photo Credits: Atheist Foundation of Australia