The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to advocate for separation of church and state in the new term of parliament and has suggested that he start with the removal from parliament of daily acts of Christian worship.
In a letter yesterday, the RSA told Mr Albanese that religious privilege remained a fact of life in many government institutions and programs, resulting in non-religious Australians facing unfair and discriminatory treatment.
RSA Executive Director Si Gladman said broad secular reform was needed to address these instances of unfair and discriminatory treatment, and urged Mr Albanese to begin by addressing the problem of parliament imposing daily Christian prayers.
On a podcast last week, Mr Albanese said he supported the principle of separation of church and state.
In his letter, Mr Gladman welcomed Mr Albanese’s remarks and said that church-state separation was central to secularism.
He added that secularism also ensured equal treatment of religious believers and non-believers alike, without government favouritism.
“One issue that you can deal with straight away at the opening of the new parliament is to address the imposition of exclusively Christian prayers in the Standing Orders, opening proceedings in the House of Representatives and Senate each day,” he wrote.
“Observing acts of Christian worship is alienating for many members of parliament, staff and members of the public in attendance.
“There is no religious test that Australians need to pass to be elected as representatives to the parliament. So why should they be asked to observe daily Christian prayers in their place of work?”
Mr Gladman also noted the growing momentum for change on this issue across the country, with a number of Labor MPs having called for change and with many local governments having also changed their practices in recent years.
In 2022, the RSA backed the new President of the Senate, Sue Lines, after she declared that, as an atheist, she did not want to have to recite the prayers at the opening of the Senate each day.
A number of Labor MPs in the House of Representatives have also labelled the practice as inappropriate, while many Labor representatives in the Victorian Parliament are boycotting the practice.
Mr Gladman told Mr Albanese that the issue was one of “fundamental human rights”.
“We are a nation of increasing non-religious and religious diversity. At the next Census in 2026, Australians identifying as not religious will likely overtake Christians.
“Despite the fundamental demographic changes that have occurred in Australia in recent decades, religious privilege – especially, Christian privilege – remains a fact of life in many government institutions and programs. As a result, non-religious Australians face unfair and discriminatory treatment in public institutions and government programs.”
The Rationalist Society of Australia is actively advocating for prayer rituals to be replaced with more appropriate practices in councils and parliaments. See the latest updates here.
Si Gladman is Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.
If you want to support our work, please make a donation or become a member.
Image: Anthony Albanese (Facebook)