Examples Of Secularism In Australia

In Australia, religion is not associated but is protected by the government due to secularism. Australia is a secular state and prohibits any religious associations or preferential treatment of those of a specific religious background by the government. Secularism in Australia legally ensures Immigrants are able to practise their choice of religion without being deprecated through establishing a range of systems. Religion is defined as a specific set of beliefs and practices that are inclusive of the worshipping of a superhuman or agency. This may include devotional and ritual observances and a moral and an ethical code of practice. Examples include Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. Religion and state relationships

Examples of these systems include secularism and the Australian constitution. Secularism is the separation of state from religious institutions, this means the government cannot establish a preferential religion and must provide citizens with the option to display belief or non-belief in religion. Also, the government must not support any religion and avoid preferential treatment whilst remaining neutral in all matters of religion. A constitution is a set of rules and outlines in which the elected government must govern and abide by. The Australian constitution was created in 1901 by the British parliament as a part of the commonwealth Act 1901. The Australian constitution prevents the elected government from establishing regulations and legislations that hinder the freedom to practise any religion or using the individuals chosen religion as reasoning for neglecting. Samar, A local student who practises Islam believes that these systems have improved the way religion is treated in Australia and have allowed members of the Islamic religion to advocate what they believe in. By implementing these systems into legislations and regulations the Australians citizens are being allowed to practise their chosen religion without being

Separation of church and state is defined as the definitive division of the government and religion. This means the government cannot associate with the practices of religion nor make regulations or legislations that prohibit the freedom of religion and religious practices. The advantages of the separation of church and state include the election of government member will not be influenced by religious viewpoints, The government has the freedom to establish laws without taking into account the considerations of the church, Individuals have the freedom and responsibly of religion and the system respects both the church and state. Although there is a separation of church and the state, the government still contributes to minimal religious affiliations. These include school chaplaincy within state schools and funding of religious schools. A school chaplain is an individual of religious background who educates students about things such as values, morals and ethical codes of conduct. The school chaplaincy programme was introduced by the Australian Government and aims to support the emotional wellbeing of the broader school community. Secondly, some private schools receive funding from programmes such as The Gonski plan. The Gonski plan is a programme established by the Australian government to assist schools incorrectly resourcing facilities. The separation