Life, Ethics and Faith in Australian Society: Facts and Figures

A reference book from
the Christian Research Association.

Religion interacts with
almost every aspect of life. Australian religious communities have
grown through immigration, but have declined through cultural
changes. These communities continue to educate almost 40 per cent of
Australian students and provide many of Australia's welfare services
and international aid.

In turn, religious
faith has an impact on the age at which young people get married,
family size, the occupations their members go into, as well as how
they spend their time and money, and their involvement in voluntary
activities.

Religious faith also
has an impact on people's values: their attitudes to work and
leisure, their sense of meaning in life, and their attitudes to the
sacredness of human life and to expressions of sexuality.

Drawing on data from
the Australian Bureau of Statistics and several other major social
surveys, this book explores not only the general impact of religion,
but how that impact varies according to the extent of people's
involvement in religion and the particular religious group in which
people are involved. To understand Australian culture and society,
one needs to understand the impact of the multiplicity of faiths that
shape the lives of Australians.