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Introduction
The purpose of this activity is to compare statistics about religion in Australia and then consider and research the reasons for the growth of Buddhism in Australia.
Tasks
- The results of the 1996 census for Australia show the numbers of people practising
different religions in Australia. Compare the following statistics on religion
in Australia with the 1991 figures on
page
8 of A
Thai Journey.
| Religion in Australia |
Percentage of Population Practising Religion (1996) |
| Christian: |
| Anglican | 3,903,324 |
| Baptist | 295,178 |
| Brethren | 22,063 |
| Catholic | 4,798,950 |
| Church of Christ | 75,023 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 83,414 |
| Latter Day Saints | 45,112 |
| Lutheran | 249,989 |
| Oriental Christian | 31,342 |
| Orthodox | 497,015 |
| Pentecostal | 497,015 |
| Presbyterian and Reformed | 675,534 |
| Salvation Army | 74,145 |
| Seventh-Day Adventist | 52,655 |
| Uniting Church | 1,334,917 |
| Other Protestant | 50,216 |
| Other Christian | 33,058 |
| Christian, No Further Description | 196,109 |
| SUBTOTAL | 12,582,764 |
|
| Non-Christian: |
| Buddhism | 199,812 |
| Hinduism | 67,279 |
| Islam | 200,885 |
| Judaism | 79,805 |
| Other Religions | 68,647 |
| SUBTOTAL | 616,428 |
|
| No Religion | 2,948,888 |
| Inadequately Described | 54,164 |
| Not Stated | 1,550,595 |
| Overseas Visitor | 139,594 |
| TOTAL | 17,892,423 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 1997, Selected Social and Housing Characteristics for Australia 1996, AGPS, Canberra, p 43.
- From these statistics, identify:
- the largest religious group in Australia
- the group which has increased the most (the largest rise in numbers of members)
- the group which has decreased the most
- the fastest growing religions (in rates of growth).
- Where does Buddhism rank in:
- real size
- rate of growth?
- How can you explain this rate of growth? List any possible reasons.
- Now work out ways of testing your hypotheses. For example, if you think that the rate of growth in the popularity of Buddhism is due to increased immigration from countries where Buddhism is strong, you could look at statistics about immigration and see if there is a correlation.
- A key way of learning about Buddhism is to invite a speaker into the classroom. If you think the rate of growth of Buddhism in Australia might be due to the attractiveness of the philosophy to Australian-born people, you might be able to contact a local Buddhist organisation and invite a recent convert to speak about the attraction of Buddhism for them.
The Buddhist Australia Directory (http://www.buddhanet.net/aus_buds.htm) is
a good starting point to contact state-based Buddhist organisations. It provides
information on Buddhist organisations throughout Australia and contains links
to international Buddhist sites on the Internet. There are also statistics
on Buddhism in Australia at: http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Heights/2885/baus.html.
- If you were going to invite a Buddhist to talk to you, what questions would you ask them? Make a list of the five questions which you most want to ask.
- Compare your questions with the rest of the class, listing them all.
- As a class, vote on the ten best questions which you would like answered by your visitor. You might include these when you invite the speaker, or you may just make sure that they are all answered when the speaker addresses you.
Websites
BuddhaNet is a major Buddhist information site.
http://www.buddhanet.net/
A good general description of historical and customary aspects of Buddhism in Thailand is available at the Mahidol site.
http://www.mahidol.ac.th/budsir/buddhism.htm
Some Buddhist images are available on the Khon Kaen National Museum site.
http://www.khonkaen.com/english/attractions/museum.asp
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