Did you hear something like the following?

AUSTRALIA WILL BE HOLDING A CENSUS IN AUGUST.
DO NOT LEAVE THE 'RELIGION' SECTION BLANK. BE SURE TO AT LEAST TICK CHRISTIAN (OR YOUR UPBRINGING FAITH).

1,000,000 MUSLIMS WILL TICK THEIR BOX.
10,000,000 AUSTRALIANS WILL LEAVE IT BLANK THEN WONDER WHY A MOSQUE IS BUILT IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD!!!

PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS

This is a fear campaign using false information.

The 2011 Census indicated that 475,562 people said that their religion was Islam – only about 2.2% of the entire population, and nearly 30% of those are children (0-14 years of age).

10 million people – roughly half of all Australians – don't leave the religion question blank.

Identifying as Christian won't stop mosques from being built in your neighbourhood, any more than it will suddenly lead to new churches erupting from the ground.

It does not matter what name someone gives to their god, or whether the building on the corner is a mosque or church, or a football club. We have secular laws that should represent all Australians regardless of their belief or disbelief as defined by Section 116 of the Constitution*.

The government has never built temples, churches, or mosques. We live in a free secular society which tolerates personal faiths. But most importantly, if people are truly terrified of religions taking over the country, they should support any efforts to keep church and state separate.

By marking the Census correctly you are better represented in decision-making and funding decisions. In fact, it can be argued that a secular society better reflects what is fair for all Australians so that we can all live together, regardless of faith or lack of it.

* Section 116 says: The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.

No religion

Generally an adult fills in the questionnaire and may mark young and adolescent children as having a religious belief without their input. The largest percentage of people who hold no religious view are in the adolescent to young adult range, which may be as high as 50%.

Many children have not decided which set of religious beliefs they will accept as true, or they haven't thought through the ramifications of those beliefs. We therefore believe it is unfair and inaccurate to label these children as belonging to a religion.

However, if you are certain the child in question truly believes the tenets of a religion, please select the appropriate option.

Richard Dawkins and other prominent authors have pointed out that no one should consider children Muslims, Hindus, or Christians. Children often parrot the beliefs of their parents, teachers, and culture without fully understanding the complex concepts involved.

At June 2014, there were 4.4 million children under 15 years of age in Australia. That is 19% of the population who should be marked as having 'No religion'. When they are adults, they should be encouraged to make an informed decision as to how they identify themselves in matters of faith.

‘No religion’ does not mean you are an atheist.

It simply means you don’t currently practice a religion and have no inclination to do so.

You may never openly or even privately identify as an atheist, a skeptic, a humanist, a rationalist - or whatever label there is out there that makes you uncomfortable. This is about no label for you - and no religion either.

You always have the option of writing additional information for this question, but ultimately, it's your personal choice as to what you identify as, and you should be truthful on the census form.

Exaggerations and inaccuracies in the Census data may lead to groups wielding disproportionate influence within government. By means of these inflated figures, politicians may formulate or disallow laws and policies based on religious precepts.

The Atheist Foundation of Australia believes laws and government policies should benefit all members of society, not just those who adhere to a particular religious faith – even when that religion holds a majority position. As such, all government decisions should be based on empirical evidence rather than religious beliefs.

Due to the wording in the preamble to the Statute of Elizabeth in 1601, all religions and religious works are classed as charities. We are following ideas formed in medieval times when everyone was a Christian, rather than modern, secular, and inclusive principles.

It is estimated that some $30 billion annually remains untaxed due to exemptions enjoyed by religious organisations. While many religious groups perform helpful and much-needed charity work, a lack of transparency and accountability makes it impossible to determine exactly how much is spent on genuine charitable activities, and how much is devoted to commercial profit making enterprises or devoted to religious activities. There is no reason why non-believers should be required to subsidise religious activities via tax exemptions.

Between November 2012 and May 2013 the Australian Bureau of Statistics accepted submissions for changes to the content of, or procedures for, the 2016 Census. The Atheist Foundation of Australia made a submission and ran a campaign urging other secular organisations and individuals to do the same.

50% of the 870 submissions received by the ABS regarding the content of the 2016 Census recommended changes to the religious affiliation question, due to a perception of bias in the question format and consequent potential underestimates of the number of people who stated they had no religion (see Overview of Submissions on the ABS website).

After user consultation and testing, the ABS decided to move the 'No religion' response category to be the first response category in the question, so it will be more consistent with other questions and the order of their response categories. This approach is consistent with that of a number of other countries.

The Census gathers vital information on a wide range of topics which state and federal governments, business, and individuals use to inform policy, funding, and other decisions.

For example, basic services such as housing, social security, transport, education, industry, shops and hospitals use Census information. Also, State funding (including GST revenue) is based on census figures, as are the number of seats each state and territory has in the House of Representatives.

Ultimately, yes.

The Census and Statistics Act provides for the compulsory completion of the form. If an individual doesn't answer the questions on the Census form, the Australian Statistician has the authority to direct them to do so. There are penalties for people failing to complete the Census or returning the form when directed to do so. However, the question on religion is optional.

The Census collects information on each person and household in the country to provide information about the community as a whole. Any personal information provided remains confidential to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). No information can be released that would enable users of Census data to identify any particular individual or household.

The Privacy, Confidentiality and Security and Census Privacy Policy pages on the ABS website provide more detailed information.

Yes.

Question 19 asks “What is the person's religion?” and applies to each individual in the household at the time of the Census.

No.

Answering which religion you belong to is an optional question. However, we believe that supplying the government with full and accurate information ensures that policy and funding decisions are based on accurate data about Australian residents.

Responses to the religion question are coded to the Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups. In the classification, religions are grouped based on similarities in religious beliefs and practices, and the cultural heritage of adherents.

The number of adherents of a particular religious group is a significant factor in developing the classification structure. Thus, Christian denominations are extensively identified.

The 2011 Census showed that more Australians than ever are identifying as having no religious affiliation.

Christianity remained the most commonly reported religion in Australia with 61.1% of the population reporting affiliation with a Christian religion - a decline from 63.9 per cent in 2006.

There was an increase in the number of people not reporting a Christian faith, from 36.1% of the population in 2006 to 38.9% in 2011.

The number of people reporting 'No religion' rose significantly, from 18.7% of the population in 2006 to 22.3% in 2011. As a single response to the question on religion, only Catholic was higher at 25% of the population, with Anglican third highest at 17%. 'No religion' was the response that showed the largest growth in number, from 3,706,553 persons in 2006 to 4,796,787 people in 2011 – an increase of 29.4%.

The most common non-Christian religions in 2011 were Buddhism (accounting for 2.5% of the population), Islam (2.2%) and Hinduism (1.3%). Of these, Hinduism had experienced the fastest growth since 2006, increasing from 147,841 to 275,521, followed by Islam from 339,879 to 475,562 and Buddhism from 417,944 to 528,621.

The article LOSING MY RELIGION on the ABS website gives a great deal of detail on the decline in religious affiliation in Australia.

The religion question on the Census form is what is known as a 'leading question'. That is, it is formulated is such a way as to elicit a desired answer.

The question reads, "What is the person's religion?"

Firstly, the phrasing of the question suggests the person has a religious belief. The Atheist Foundation of Australia believes this is a false assumption.

Secondly, the response options presented allows the person to specify their religion of baptism, or the religion they were introduced to as a child, even though the individual may not hold any religious beliefs anymore.

During its review for the 2016 census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics received many submissions recommending changes to the religious affiliation question, due to perceived bias in the question format. After user consultation and testing, they decided to move the 'No religion' response to be the first response to the question, rather than the last.

Not necessarily.

According to research, there are many people who attend church and other religious activities for the social aspects of such gatherings, and do not actually accept the tenets of the faith. The philosopher Daniel Dennett has conducted a study of ministers and pastors who have lost their faith, yet continue preaching because they do not know what else to do.

Conversely, there may be people who accept the tenets of a faith without ever attending a religious service.

Again, the Atheist Foundation of Australia believes the question should be answered as accurately as possible to truly reflect the belief of Australians.

No.

The Atheist Foundation of Australia believes only those who accept the basic tenets of the faith should consider themselves Christian. These are outlined by the Nicene Creed

Values such as “love thy neighbour”, “do not commit murder”, and “thou shall not steal” are shared by many religions, cultures, and societies throughout history. As such, many values labelled “Christian” are shared by people of all faiths, including those who have no faith at all.

It is no surprise that every culture discovered treating people as they wish to be treated led to civilised and pleasant living conditions.

Believing Jesus rose from the dead or was born of a virgin does not give the faithful a monopoly on morality. One can be perfectly moral without a supernatural spy camera watching.

In 325 AD the first ecumenical council met in the city of Nicaea in an attempt to settle the differences between the competing Christian faiths and arrive at an agreed consensus. The final agreement included the Nicene Creed and other details, such as when to celebrate Easter (the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox).

The creed is now adopted by Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic as well as Eastern and Oriental Orthodox liturgies among others.

There are numerous versions of the Nicene Creed as it has been revised a number of times since the original in 325CE. The following is used in all RC Churches as of November 2011:

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.