Getting to Know the Neighbours
The Uniting Church in Australia is fortunate indeed to be set in the midst of such an interesting neighbourhood. But meeting the neighbours is not just about saying hello, or being polite to people of other faiths and cultures.
At the end of the day it's about seeing those others as special gifts of God. It's about learning how they think, and believe, and live, and feel. It's about understanding that deepens into trust and, yes, friendship that grows into love.
In that process you and I don't lose our identity. We're still Australians, still Christians, still us. But somehow we become "us plus". Our inherited identity is extended, enlarged, enriched, in ways we could never have anticipated, by God's gift of the other.
Below are some resources you may find helpful in getting to know the neighbors.
Background and Statistics
Religious Affiliation (Australia Bureau of Statistics)
Religious Freedom Fact Sheet (Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
"Religion in Australia" A brief summary of the history and statistics of religions in Australia
(Published in The Week magazine, 10 July 2009)
Calendars of Religious Holy Days and Festivals
Interfaith Calendar (BBC)
Interfaith Calendar (University of Western Australia)
Recommended Resources
Australia's Religious Communities: A Multimedia Exploration (CD-ROM)
Editor Philip J. Hughes, Research Assistant Sharon Bond
Produced by Christian Research Association
Available to order from the Christian Research Association website.
We also encourage you to view pages on this website: Papers, Articles and Statements and Recommended Reading and Viewing for resources to learn more about the different religions in Australia and interfaith relations.
Major Religions in Australia
Below are links to the websites of key national organisations for many of the major religions in Australia, in order to gain information directly from those organisations.
Bahai
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia Inc.
Brahma Kumaris
Brahma Kumaris Rajo Yoga Centres Australia
Buddhism
Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils
Caodaism
Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism
Hinduism
Hindu Council of Australia
Islam
Affinity Interfultural Foundation
Al-Ghazzali Centre
Australian Federation of Islamic Councils