Dear Friends,
The reporting this week on the release of the 2016 Census results has taken me by surprise. You’d be excused for thinking that the entire Census was driven by the need to know what the Australian people’s religious preferences are. Article after article and front page after front page reported on the rapid decline of religious affiliation and the rise of “no religion”.
In 1966, 34% of people said they were Anglican, 26% said they were Catholic and 0.8% said they had no religion. In 2016, 30% did not declare a religion, 22% said they were Catholic and 15% claimed to be Anglicans.
The anti-SRE brigade and many others have jumped on this and made claims of the irrelevance of religion today and the need to eradicate spirituality from our public discourse. I’m suggesting something completely different.
As I see it, for us Christians, opportunity knocks.
It is of no surprise to me that the number of people claiming to be Anglican has reduced. Just look around at church and ask yourself, have we ever had 34% or even 15% of the population in church? No! Many of those who claim to be Anglican or even Christian have been giving an indication of a cultural position or familial ties. They were baptised or schooled in the Anglican tradition.
For some, the massive reduction in 50 years will be seen as a threat to survival. I think it is exciting because the reduction in those claiming to “be Anglican” is an indication that people are thinking about what they believe rather than just religiously ticking a box. People are deciding to have a view and indicate what is really going on for them spiritually. Australian people are taking personal ownership of their beliefs.
For this reason, it is no time to panic! This is the moment opportunity knocks and provides a chance for us to have good conversations with our neighbours and friends. The newspaper articles and stories in the media give us all a chance to ask “What did you put for religion in the Census?” Or, “Have you changed what you put for religion in the Census between 2011 and now?”
This can only lead to great conversations about what people actually believe and why. It gives you the opportunity to share what you believe and why. It might give you an opportunity with someone who did claim to “be Anglican” to invite them to something Anglican and try it out again!
The move from cultural, nominal, familial belief thinking to personal, individual belief thinking is a watershed moment for evangelism.
I share this with you because the Macarthur Advertiser will be running an article on religion and the Census next week. You and your neighbour will get the same paper on the same day and you will have a real opportunity to start a conversation with them. Perhaps you could start praying for them now and for courage to take the opportunity that knocks.
In Christ
Nigel