Does Religion Influence Australian Society

“To what extent does religion influence Australian society?”

Religion can be defined as “a personal or institutionalized set of attitudes, beliefs and practices, which may include a system of prayers and religious laws” (Peta Goldburg, 2009). It is to be questioned whether or not religion influences Australian society. This is evident in the education system of Australia, organisations that contribute to social welfare, in particular, the homeless and the influence of religious requirements on food. As time progresses, religious participation in Australia has become less prevalent, with the number of people affiliated with Christianity decreasing. Therefore, to what extent is our society influenced by religion?

In Australia, the education

Two of the widely practiced religions in Australia are Christianity and Islam. To cater for the food related requirements, methods have been put it place throughout Australia such as Halal certification and the meat restriction in Christian educational settings on Ash Wednesday. Currently, in Australia, there are approximately 476,000 Muslims who follow the Islamic faith (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Australian society has catered for this minority by adapting religious requirements to their food products. After much debate and controversy, many companies have successfully labelled their products with the Halal certification symbol. According to Islamic law referred to as the Sharia law, products containing pork, alcohol and other specific ingredients are not to be consumed. For the convenience of the Australian Muslim community, the certification is quickly becoming available to products found in local supermarkets. Halal food is “worth around $1.5 trillion annually and it’s a growing export opportunity for Australian producers” (Thomsen, 2015). Similarly, Australian primary and high schools refrain from selling all meat products on Ash Wednesday to meet the religious requirements of Christians. At St Joseph’s Primary School, the canteen does not sell meat products at recess and lunch. In this way, religion has influenced Australian society in terms of food.

Overall, it is evident that religion has had an influence on education, social welfare and food throughout Australian history. Not only has religion influenced Australia in the previously mentioned ways, but it also has improved the development of society. I believe that although religious participation in Australia has become less prevalent, the impact it has had and will continue to have on our society is certainly