Religious and belief systems in AustraliaQ1. Describe the changing patterns of religious adherence in Australia from 1945 to the present. There have been many changes in religious adherence since the end of World War II. At the end of the war many Australians still had British ancestors and so most people were Christian. As immigrants arrived in Australia after the war we began to see new religions grow. Orthodox Christians came from places like Greece, for example. Catholics have continued to grow in numbers while some other Christian faiths have decreased in size. One reason the Catholic Church is growing is the arrival of immigrants from places like Africa and the Philippines. With the arrival of immigrants from places such as India and other parts of Asia since the 1970s there has been an increase in the number of followers of non-Christian religions. Hinduism grew as a religion due to the increasing immigration of people from places like India. Buddhism also grew. It is now the largest non-Christian religion in Australia. Among other religions, Islam continues to grow while the number of people following Judaism has been fairly steady. So ethnicity continues to influence how people view religion in Australia today. However (Andrew West and Professor Des Cahill, 2012) argue that Australia is becoming increasingly religious, but religious in different ways, particularly through non-religious choices. In the 2011 census, more people chose the "No religion" option than in previous censuses. It is predicted that in the 21st century there will be an increase in the number of people who identify as Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. At the same time, in recent years, there has been a statement...... middle of paper ......describing people who do not believe they are religious. However, the religious beliefs section of the census is not mandatory. So people who don't want to talk about their religious beliefs may not have filled out this section. The "no religion" section also includes agnostics, atheists and some people who follow new age traditions. Many of these people may not be religious, but they may still be spiritual. Word Count - 1066 Bibliography Studiesofreligion.org.au Swartz B, 2012, "Godless overtakes Anglicans, as Hinduism doubles", Sydney Morning Herald, June 21 West A, 2012, "2011 census reveals religionless roster" , ABC radio National, 27 June http://www.abs.gov.au Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011, census, Australia. http://www.smh.com.au/ West A, 2012, 'The 2011 census, ethnicity and religion in Australia', ABC Radio national, 8 August