Secular Agenda Rationalist Society of Australia

Each month, the Rationalist Society of Australia hosts a webinar, with a guest speaker, or speakers, presenting on a topic of interest. We share highlights of our past webinars here on this podcast.

This episode features highlights from our September 2023 webinar, when Dr Rebecca Banham shared insights into her research on the Australian media’s response to the rise of non-religious identification in the Census.

Dr Banham is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Tasmania.

In the webinar, she spoke about how, following the release of the most recent Census data, significant sections of the media responded to the rapid rise in non-religious identification in the national Census with concern, defensiveness and fear.

This episode explores the development in New South Wales of the Faith Affairs Council and the state Labor government’s decision to block non-religious and ex-religious representation from the body. The episode features an interview with Steve Marton (2:25), who is president of Sydney Atheists. In November 2023, the state government rejected his application to become a member of the Faith Affairs Council. He applied for a position on the advisory body – which has a direct line to government ministers – in order to represent the voices of non-religious and ex-religious citizens on matters relating to religion.

Each month, the Rationalist Society of Australia hosts a webinar, with a guest speaker, or speakers, presenting on a topic of interest. We share highlights of our past webinars here on this podcast. This episode features highlights from our March 2023 webinar, when Dr Jennifer Bleazby presented on her research into current scripture laws and policies operating in public schools across the country. Dr Bleazby is a Senior Lecturer at Monash University. She is also a recipient of an RSA Research Grant. In the webinar, she discussed how the methods of indoctrination used in programs such as Religious Instruction in Queensland and Special Religious Education in New South Wales undermine fundamental educational aims and raise problems for schools as they seek to help children to navigate disinformation, conspiratorial thinking and science denialism.

This episode explores the topic of Special Religious Education (SRE), or ‘scripture’, in New South Wales’ public schools, and the mounting public opposition to religious missionaries continuing to be allowed to interrupt the curriculum and take over class time. The episode features an interview with Steven Cowgill (4:48), a parent who has recently launched a petition on the New South Wales Parliament website. The petition – open for New South Wales citizens until 12 April 2024 – calls for the Legislative Assembly to ask that the state government amends the Education Act (1990) so that optional SRE and Special Education in Ethics (SEE) run only during participating students' own time, such as breaks or before or after school.

Each month, the Rationalist Society of Australia hosts a webinar, with a guest speaker, or speakers, presenting on a topic of interest. We share highlights of our past webinars here on this podcast. This episode features highlights from our June webinar with Dr Philip Saj, Visiting Scholar at The Business School at University of Adelaide. In the webinar, he spoke on the topic ‘Basic Religious Charities: The case for more transparency’. He shared insights from his research into Basic Religious Charities (BRCs) and their unique place in Australia’s charities system, enjoying exemptions from the financial reporting requirements and governance standards that apply to other charities. Dr Saj told the webinar that removing the exemptions for BRCs would enhance public trust in the charities system.

This episode explores the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) proposal to change the religion question for the 2026 Census, and the campaign behind the push for more accurate and meaningful data on religion. The episode features an interview with Michael Dove (1:57), the spokesperson for the ‘Census21 – Not Religious? Mark 'No Religion'' campaign. At the 2021 Census, the campaign – which was a joint effort by a number of pro-secular organisations, including the Rationalist Society of Australia – encouraged Australians to mark ‘No religion’ if they were no longer religious. More recently, the campaign has been making submissions to the ABS’ public consultation process for reviewing Census topics and considering changes to questions.