Weekend Wrap for 28 July 2024

Michael Dove (Census21): Religion and the census – seeking accuracy and truth
"The existing question asked people to tick a box against a list of the 10 most common religions with a box for people to write in other options. The ‘Census21 – Not Religious?’ campaign did not have a strong view on this matter but acknowledged the impracticality of listing all 139 categories in the official classification of religions. In response to a question from Senator Dean Smith, the ABS’ head statistician Dr David Gruen told Senate estimates in June 2024 that it was faith groups that had complained about the census listing some religions but not others. In relation to tick boxes, it seems Mr [Paul] Collins and Archbishop Costelloe want to have their cake and eat it too. On one hand they argue that the tick boxes mask important sub-groups within the larger religions, but on the other they argue that a write-in response will cause confusion and result in further inaccuracy or a lower response. We accept the need to accurately capture the religious beliefs of all respondents in today’s multicultural and plural society. A single text field puts all religions on an equal footing and will encourage more diverse and accurate responses." (21 Jul 2024)
Read more at Pearls & Irritations
(This article from the Census21 campaign, of which the NSL is a member, is in response to an article by former priest Paul Collins, published in this same publication on 8 Jun 2024.)

Matthew Wade: The Productivity Commission wants to axe a key tax break for private school donations – but the government is determined to keep it
"Giving is in a tough spot in Australia. A declining proportion of us donate to charities, and fewer of us are registering as formal volunteers than in 2018. However, demand for the work of charities is higher than ever. Charities Minister Andrew Leigh has deemed this a civic crisis and set a target of doubling philanthropic giving by 2030. To achieve this, Leigh and Treasurer Jim Chalmers asked the Productivity Commission to conduct a once-in-a-generation 15-month review of philanthropy, which was published last Thursday. Leigh said he would consider all of the recommendations but one – that donations to school building funds no longer be tax deductible." (22 Jul 2024)
Read more at The Conversation

Josh Roose: After the defection of Senator Fatima Payman, what are the prospects of a Muslim political party in Australia?
"The federal government’s response to the terror attack carried out by Hamas on 7 October 2023, and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, have brought long simmering tensions in Australian multicultural society to a boil. In a political moment defined by polarisation and heightened political emotions, the defection of Western Australian Senator Fatima Payman from the governing Labor Party to the cross bench, and rumours of a Muslim political party seeking to exploit grievances over the government’s position on Gaza, seem particularly portentous. Admittedly, this is not the first time that Australian Muslims have contemplated forming a political party. Nor is it, in the context of Australian multiculturalism, the first attempt to mobilise migrant communities as a constituency or to organise a political entity based on religious values." (24 Jul 2024)
Read more at ABC News

Siobhan Marin & Andrew West (for ABC's Religion & Ethics Report): Religious voters are starting to organise politically. Will it impact Australia's next election?
"This month, the newly formed political group Muslim Vote vowed to run in Western Sydney at the next elections. The group's convenor, Sheikh Wesam Charkawi, told the ABC that Labor's position on Israel had outraged Muslim communities. Dr Roose says this fits with global trends. "We're starting to see more and more [political] organisation by actively religious individuals and communities seeking to influence the election process," he says. ... The Muslim Vote collective has detractors. Lebanese-born community leader Jamal Rifi says he's concerned that recent political turmoil — namely the creation of this group and Senator Payman quitting Labor — could tear at the fabric of multiculturalism in Australia." (24 Jul 2024)
Read more at ABC News

Alastair Lawrie: The govt has dropped the ball on protecting LGBTQ students and teachers
"Rather than progressing Sex Discrimination Act and Fair Work Act amendments based on the ALRC's recommendations, the government in March announced it would not introduce these reforms without bipartisan support from the Dutton opposition for these changes, and for a new Religious Discrimination Bill. Given the record of the last government that seemed highly unlikely. And as each month has passed, the chances of it happening have become even more remote. Shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash has instead backed calls from groups like Christian Schools Australia for "positive rights" for religious schools that would not only prevent protections under Commonwealth law, but strip rights away from students and teachers in places that are already protected, like the ACT." (26 Jul 2024)
Read more at The Canberra Times

Simon McCarthy-Jones: Elon Musk says he’s a ‘cultural Christian’ – why some leading thinkers are embracing Christianity
"The world’s richest person, Elon Musk, just announced that he’s a “big believer in the principles of Christianity” and “a cultural Christian”. Musk’s reasons are moral and political – he believes Christianity can boost both happiness and birthrates. Musk joins many western conservative thinkers troubled by a rapidly changing world. Some of these thinkers have embraced Christianity to combat these changes. Yet they often struggle to accept Christianity’s central supernatural claims, like Christ’s resurrection. ... So, conservative thinkers might be right in believing Christianity can support the social order they feel is threatened. But this is not a new idea. Egyptian pharaohs used religion to aid social stability. Today, in China, President Xi Jinping uses Confucianism for such purposes. Yet, many conservative intellectuals struggle to believe Christianity’s core supernatural elements. Re-enchanting the world is difficult. So, can the benefits of Christianity be retained without believing such claims?" (26 Jul 2024)
Read more at The Conversation