Religion Post 1945

Question 1

Immigration

Answer 1

• 1901 – Immigration Restriction Act
• More commonly known as ‘White Australia Policy’
• 1945 – World War II ends – Migrants sought
• 1951 – Assisted immigration: agreements are established with Italy, Germany, Greece and Austria
• 1973-1975 Abolition of ‘White Australia Policy

Question 2

Immigration

Answer 2

• Australia, the nation of migrants
• Post-war migration significantly changed the Australian religious landscape – Orthodox and Catholic Christians
• Post- 1970s migration pattern indicate that migrants are arriving from South East Asia and the Middle East- Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism

Question 3

Secular

Answer 3

• Attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis
• Secularism is growing in Australia
• Active seeking separate Church and State

Question 4

Ecumenism

Answer 4

• The principle or aim of promoting unity among the world’s Christian churches
• Christian churches working together at local, regional and national levels
• Can be informal – e.g. SRE in schools
• Can be structural – e.g. Uniting Church
• NSW Ecumenical Council
• National council of Churches in Australia sec

Question 5

Uniting Church

Answer 5

• Formed 22 June 1977
• Methodist Church of Australasia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia came together
• Some groups remained
• Unique example of ecumenism

Question 6

Assimilation

Answer 6

• The idea that Aboriginal people should be ‘improved; by becoming ‘civilised’ , able to live in the dominant European/ Australian culture and converted to Christianity
• From 1930s, assimilation was government policy

Question 7

Effect of Dispossession

Answer 7

• Are overrepresented in prison
• Experience socio-economic hardship
• are educationally disadvantaged
• are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
• use government services more extensively
• have a lower life expectancy
• experience
• have a lower life expectancy
• experience higher rates of infant mortality

Question 8

Terra Nullius

Answer 8

• A legal theory – meaning Australia was perceived as ‘ a territory belonging to no one’ . In the past, this concept was to justify the colonisation of Australia
• Ter nullius was declared a ‘legal fiction; by the Mabo decision

Question 9

Reconciliation

Answer 9

• A practice that develops and improves the relationships between groups of people
• In Australia, it refers mainly to the ongoing relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples

Question 10

Denomination

Answer 10

• The terms ‘interfaith’ or ‘interfaith dialogue’ refer to cooperative interactions between people of different religious traditions
• Distinguish between interfaith dialogue and ecumenism
• The HSC Studies of Religion course is an example of interfaith dialogue

Question 11

Impact of Immigration

Answer 11

• Post – WWII
o A growth in the number of Catholics from Italy and Western Europe
o An Increase in the number of Eastern Orthodox churches
• Since the abolishment of the immigration Restriction Act, or White Australia Policy, in 1973, there has been an increasing number of:
o Buddhists – South East Asia
o Muslims – Indonesia and the Middle East
o Hindus – Indian Sub- Continent
• Leading to multi-faith/Multicultural Australia

Question 12

Changing Patterns of Religious Adherence

Answer 12

• Statistics are collected by Australian Bureau of Statistics in a census held every five years. Research groups such as CRA (Christian Research Association and NCLA(National Church Life Survey )also collect and analyse statistics . They show :
o A steady decline in the number of people adhering to Christianity – still the largest religious tradition (61% in 2011)an increase in the number of people identifying with Orthodox Christianity, Islam , Buddhism and Hinduism
o Other religious – total under 10%
o Growth of secularism

Question 13

Denominational Switching

Answer 13

• Movement between Christian groups mainly Protestant/ Anglican – is referred to as ‘denominational switching’
• Many young people are attracted to the Pentecostal churches. Some examples include Hillsong and Christian City Church – contemporary worship
• Effect – statistics show that some denominations are declining, e.g. Anglican, while some are growing e.g. Pentecostal

Question 14

NSW Ecumenical Council

Answer 14

• Ecumenism – ‘The NSW Ecumenical Council comprises seventeen (Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox) Christian churches from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, committed to peace and reconciliation, and to express a common voice on issues of concern in Australia

Question 15

The National Council of Churches Australia

Answer 15

• Ecumenism – ‘ The NCCA is a group of 19 Christian Churches, gathered from across Australia who share a common faith and acknowledgement in Jesus Christ as God and Saviour. They also share a common belief that the future of Christian in Australia lies together, not in separation

Question 16

Dispossession

Answer 16

• Indigenous Australians taken away from their traditional land, their economic base, their traditional way of life, their family and culture
• This has led to many losses – family custom, language kinship

Question 17

Effect of Dispossession

Answer 17

• Removed sense of belonging to land
• Separation from kinship
• Stolen generation s
• Loss of language
• Loss of story
• Loss of culture

Question 18

Interfaith Dialogue

Answer 18

• The term ‘interfaith’ or ‘ interfaith dialogue’ refer to cooperative and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions
• Distinguish between interfaith dialogue and ecumenism
• The HSC Studies of religion course is an example of interfaith dialogue

Question 19

Sectarian

Answer 19

• Narrowly confined or devoted to particular sect/religious worldview
o In Australia, this mainly been Catholic and Protestant conflict
o Often reflects political or ‘class; differences as well
• Ecumenism is way of overcoming sectarianism

Question 20

Kinship

Answer 20

• Indigenous Australian kinship is system of law governing social interactions, including marriage, in traditional Indigenous culture
• All forms of social interactions are determined by complex kinship laws that determine the place of each individual and their relationship within the community

Question 21

Ceremonial life

Answer 21

• Indigenous ceremonial life centres on The Dreaming, and re-enactment and telling of story through dance, song music and mime
• Often associated with ‘rites of passage’ or tribal requirements e.g. initiation or death rites

Question 22

Mabo

Answer 22

• Eddie Koiki Mabo – Meriam people of Torres Strait
• 3 June 1992 – the High Court of Australia Mabo decision
• Important for recognition of indigenous land rights
• Under Australian law, indigenous peoples have land rights – rights to land that existed before colonisation and that still exist
• Threw out the legal fiction that when Australia was ‘discovered’ by Captain James Cook in 1788, it was terra nullius, or an empty land
• Land could not be ‘alienated by statue’ an ongoing access to the land was required

Question 23

Native Title Act

Answer 23

• December 1993, the Native Title Act passed through the federal parliament
• The Act put into law what the Mabo decision had said and made native title claims possible
• The Act established a National Native Title Tribunal and set out process for the determination of native title rights over dealings on native title land

Question 24

Wik

Answer 24

• Wik people of Cape York in Queensland and Thayorre people
• Native title could ‘co-exist’ with current pastoral leases on cattle and sheep stations and mining leases – referred to as co-existence
• When pastoralists, miners and Aboriginal peoples’ rights are in conflict, the leaseholder’s rights prevail

Question 25

Dreaming

Answer 25

• The Dreaming refers to the knowledge base and understanding of Indigenous people. It incorporates beliefs and relationships between people and with the environment. It embodies the past, the present and the future
• The Dreaming is the source of Law and lore of Indigenous society

Question 26

Obligations to Land and People

Answer 26

• Indigenous people believe they are related to the land – the land ‘owns the people’
• This gives them both rights and responsibility – stewardship of the land
• In the land, they can, see all evidence of their ancestor spirit beings
• Identity is linked to their ‘country’

Question 27

Interfaith Initiatives

Answer 27

• Can be formal or informal
• Australian Council of Churches and Jews
• Colombian Center for Christian Muslim Relations
• Affinity Intercultural Foundation

Question 28

Reconciliation (Key events in the Reconciliation Process)

Answer 28

• 3 June 1992 – Mabo decision
• 19 December 1993 – Parliament enacts Native Title Act
• December 1996 – Wik decision
• 10 February 2008 – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologies to Australia’s Indigenous people for past injustices