Syllabus: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia post-1945 Flashcards
Discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming:
KINSHIP
Integral to spirituality; refers to network of relationships holding clan together
Relationships establish/reinforce rules of community behaviour
Land important aspect of kinship; referred to as ‘my mother’
Kinship ties identify system of belonging and responsibility in a clan
Discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming:
CEREMONIAL LIFE
Ancestors taught human descendants to live and how to keep life going through secret ceremonies
Dreaming and life giving powers live through humans/ animals after performing ceremonies
Rituals renew/conserve life→ everyone expected to understand sacred traditions
Art→ way of communicating the Dreaming through symbols, paintings, representations
Stories→ Describe law, lifestyle, customs/culture→ always messages of ethics
Totems→ Represent individuals as they existed in Dreaming, carry ceremonial responsibilities
Discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming:
OBLIGATIONS TO LAND AND PEOPLE
Connection to land; responsibility to care and nurture land
Dreaming links person to land and objects within land
People share same spiritual essence as land
Land is physical medium through which the Dreaming is lived and communicated
Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities in relation to:
SEPARATION FROM THE LAND
1770 Captain Cook declared Terra Nullius→ Aus belonged to no one; claimed Aboriginal laws had no legal status and entitlement to land denied
Aboriginal people removed from land (source of spirituality) → suffered malnutrition, disease, unable to find work, relied on govt
1830’s Protectorates established; reserved operated under white manager→ had power to expel people, hand out food, treat people as children
No hunting/gathering→ traditional way of life destroyed
Loss of land→ lives no meaning (dignity taken away)
Water/food sources lost→ had to trespass, hunt settlers stock→ led to violent confrontations
Displacement meant loss of cultural knowledge
Removal from land withdrew a person’s place in the Dreaming and place of sport after death (Dreaming concept→ belief in return to spirit world after death)
Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities in relation to:
SEPARATION FROM KINSHIP GROUPS
British view→ civilisation was superior→ would teach Aboriginals
Children lived in missions isolated from families→ carers tried to undermine culture by branding traditional beliefs as evil (stamping out ceremonies, rituals, languages)
Different language groups grouped together and sent away→ impacted on spirituality
Scale of separation; consequences for whole community→ distrust of govt, police and officials
Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities in relation to:
THE STOLEN GENERATIONS
1915-1970 → Children removed from families by enforcement of govt policies
Chief protector; legal guardian of Aboriginal children; sent them to missions, schools etc
Boys exploited as cheap labour on reserves. Girls fell pregnant. ⅕ physically abused
1950-1960→ taken without parent’s knowledge or consent
Children told parents died or didn’t want them→ moved from place to place, discriminated and bullied
Lost connection to dreaming, didn’t feel as if belonged
Official policy until 1969→ impossible to know how many were taken (poor record keeping)
Effects today→ removed families likely to come to police attention, low self esteem,vulnerable to sexual/physical abuse, unable to retain links to land
Some fostered or adopted by white parents→ in new homes suffered abuse, poor food/living conditions, little education, banned from speaking native language
Main reason for policy→ assimilate children into “White Australia”
Lack of parental model→ many had difficulty bringing up own children
Outline the importance of the following for the Land Rights movement:
NATIVE TITLE
NT: Recognition in Aus law; some Indigenous people continue to hold rights to lands/waters→ comes from traditional laws and customs
Exists when;
- Rights and interests under traditional laws currently observed and acknowledged
- Indigenous people have a connection with the area
- Rights and interests are recognised by common law of Aus
- Laws and customs acknowledged in mostly uninterrupted way from settlement to now
NT recognises validity of Aboriginal territorial laws existing prior to settlement
Native Title Act (1993) → Overturned terra nullius, gave official recognition to Indigenous way of life
Outline the importance of the following for the Land Rights movement:
MABO
Eddie Mabo (Mer Islander) believed Aus laws on land ownership were wrong; fought to change them
Challenged Aus legal system for rights of Indigenous as traditional owners of their land
Mer Islanders decided they would challenge concept of Terra Nullius in High court (case ran for 10 years)
3 June 1992→ High Court decided terra nullius shouldn’t have been applied
High Court didn’t decide if NT could exist in land leased to pastoralists on long term (but didn’t own)
Provided limited opportunities for small number of Indigenous people to claim ongoing existence of NT
Important→ land given back to Mabo’s people, land able to be claimed more easily, Terra Nullius overthrown
Recognises rights of Aboriginals to compensation, self determination,practice of their religion and protection of cultural identity
Outline the importance of the following for the Land Rights movement:
WIK
1996 Wik people of Cape York (QLD) → brought case to High Court arguing their right of NT on pastoral land
Ruled in their favour; decided NT rights and pastoralist rights could exist simultaneously
Great victory; even though pastoralists tights would generally prevail over Indigenous rights
Decision met with outcry so John Howard compromised and dramatically favoured rights of pastoralists (seen as act of racism)
Nonetheless it was incorporated into Native Title Amendment Act (1998) → bill increased state, territory govt powers over NT claims, while reducing rights of Aborigines to negotiate directly with pastoral leaseholders
KEY EVENTS IN THE LAND RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Movement in Aus; seeking to challenge Terra Nullius, identify Aboriginal connection/ ownership of land
1981→ Mabo fought to change Terra Nullius laws
1992→ High Court recognised Aboriginals hold to NT; provided limited opportunities to claim NT
1993→ Native Title Act; Overturned Terra Nullius; gave recognition to Indigenous way of life
1996→ Wik people argued right to NT on pastoral land→ decided NT rights could exist simultaneo
WHY LAND RIGHTS IS IMPORTANT
Reconises Aboriginal people are traditional custodians of land
Aboriginal people able to claim land more easily
Terra Nullius concept overthrown
Recognises right to compensation
Allowed to practice cultural identity and religion
Outline changing patterns of religious adherence from 1945 to the present using census data
1901; 96% of pop were Christian. → 2011; 61% of pop were Christian
1901; 0.4% of pop were no religion. → 2011; 37% of pop were no religion
1996; 1.1% of pop were Islamic. → 2011; 2.2% of pop were Islamic (growth rate of 70%)
1996-2006→
- Buddhism growth rate was 109%
- Hinduism growth rate was 120%
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
CHRISTIANITY AS THE MAJOR RELIGIOUS TRADITION
Though Aus is multi-faith society; main religious affiliation still strongly Christian
Roman Catholic and Anglican Church still hold dominant roles (Anglican ties to Britain weakened significantly)
After WW2→ Europe contributed many nationalities under Catholic banner
1975-1984→ Migration of Indo-Chinese refugees brought large Asian contingent to Catholic Church
Over 30 ethnic groups constitute the Catholic Church today in Aus
Pentecostal Churches shown significant growth→ popular with youth (use contemporary music, large stadium events, avoidance of formalised liturgy)
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
IMMIGRATION
Arrival of other religious traditions added to main religion; Christianity. But numbers were small and had little impact on overall religious landscape
Aus Muslim population is migrants from 35 countries; flee war etc
BUDDHISM
- Increase in Buddhists immigrating since suspension of “White Australia”policy (1960’s)
- 1973→ All barriers to non-Europeans were removed and Aus became attractive to Asian migrants
- 1981-1991→ Buddhism fastest growing religion in Aus
JUDAISM
- After WW2→ Jewish survivors moved to Israel or Aus
1945-1960→ Approx 30,000 Jews arrived from Europe,joining already established Jewish communities in Melbourne/ Sydney
- Contemporary Aus becoming diverse in religious composition
- Presence of synagogues, Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques→ all changed Aus religious landscape (diminishing predominance of Christianity)
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
DENOMINATIONAL SWITCHING
Transfer of followers from one variant or denomination to another (usually in Protestantism)
Revolving door syndrome; moving from one to another
Feature of Christianity, but can occur across boundaries of any religious tradition
Enables person to find spiritual ‘home’ where they feel more at ease with style of worship and views put forwards by ministers in parish
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
RISE OF NEW AGE RELIGION
Rise of individualism; general trend of moving from traditional religions and their rigidity to seek spiritual fulfilment elsewhere
NAR→ “Loosely structured network of individuals holding new visions of enlightenment and harmony while subscribing to a common worldview.” RON RHODES
Tend to see reality as interrelated and interdependent; spirituality is multifaceted→ altered states of consciousness, reincarnation, spiritualism etc
E.g. Tarot cards, yoga, tai chi, Wicca, paganism
Creation centred; seeking guidance and answers
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
SECULARISM
General trend in modern society to replace religious belief with other kinds of activity drawn from secular disciplines of sociology, psychology, science
When religious perspectives abandoned in favour of non-religious response to life’s questions
Some see it as an attempt to abandon attitudes that instil guilt in individual, or as an option that excludes any form of religious adherence
Religious values are declining; replaced by materialism, individualism
Increase in ‘no religion” in census figures
Describe the impact of Christian ecumencil movements in Australia
Ecumenism→ Christian unity among differing branches of religious community; movement towards unity amongst Christian churches
Positive call to unity and peace; successful in aiding social justice matters (e.g. refugee works)
Brings churches together; provides more opportunities help others; more work can be done
Larger number of provisions and resources utilised to help marginalised
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
Formed 1994, has 17 member churches (E.g. Salvation Army, Greek Orthodox Church)
Social justice programs: Act for Peace→ Brings refugees into society, provides aid
Calls churches together to help people in need, provides opportunity for unity in faith
NSW ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
Formed 1982, has 15 member churches (E.g. Salvation Army, Greek Orthodox Church)
Involved in helping with homelessness, educating asylum seekers
Identify need for peace and for everyone to give to community
Evaluate the importance of interfaith dialogue in multifaith Australia
Interfaith dialogue: Cooperation between people of different faiths; create respect and appreciation for religious diversity
Promote mutual understanding, harmony, cooperation, interfaith prayer services
Promotes peace,unity between all people and strengthens relations
Important during times of crisis; helps maintain peace and stops disharmony
E.g. Parramatta shooting of police officer; interfaith communications between mosque and Church to stop people protesting and vandalising mosque, and to establish cooperation with police
Examine the relationship between Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation
Reconciliation: Process where Aboriginal and non indigenous citizens to move into future with new relationship based on mutual recognition, understanding and respect
Mistakes and injustices in past must be fully acknowledged and dealt with so everyone lives in harmony (e.g. dispossession of land, stolen generations)
To facilitate healing of spirituality and of Aboriginal condition→ many religious groups support reconciliation and need for formal apology
Church historically helped with destructive govt policies; now advocate for interfaith support in reconciliation
Examine the relationship between Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation
EXAMPLES
CHRISTIANITY:
- Caritas→ calls for more assistance to Indigenous people due to ongoing traumatic effects of Assimilation
Roman Catholic Church involved National
- Reconciliation Week→ week of initiatives promoting reconciliation, focuses largely on Aboriginal health
ISLAM:
Islamic groups make public statements supporting reconciliation and formal apology for stolen generations
BUDDHISM:
- Peace fellowship runs programs for social welfare and education
- Run a program for alcoholic Aboriginals; combines alcoholic anonymous process with Buddhist beliefs
