The President of the Australian Senate is calling for the practice of reading the Lord's Prayer every day before sitting to be ditched.
For the last 121 years, politicians have stood and and listened to the Lord's Prayer be read out each day, according to Sky News Australia.
It's a relic of the past when Australia was a far more Christian country.
Advert
However, there is now a campaign to dump the practice because Australia is far more multicultural.
Sue Lines is the President of the Senate and is also an atheist. She believes it's high time the Senate becomes atheist as well.
Speaking to The Australian: "On the one hand we’ve had almost every parliamentary leader applaud the diversity of the Parliament and so if we are genuine about the diversity of the Parliament we cannot continue to say a Christian prayer to open the day.
“Personally, I would like to see the prayers gone. I’m an atheist. I don’t want to say the prayers. If others want to say the prayers they’re open to do that.
Advert
“Personally I would like to see them gone but again it’s not something I can decree. It’s a view of the Senate.”
She's planning on raising the issue with the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure to see if they can amend the daily practice.
In addition to the Lord's Prayer, the Senate also has an Acknowledgement of Country. That practice has been in place since 2010 and recognises First Nations people as the original custodians of Australia.
Politicians aren't required to attend the Lord's Prayer, not do they have to participate in it if they are present.
Advert
While some people would be in favour of removing the Lord's Prayer from standard practice, the suggestion has already angered some in Canberra.
Politician Bob Katter said: "Is it an unreasonable thing to quote from a book that more than half the population is committed to? In Australia it is.
“And now, we have been told today by some that we cannot say prayers in the Parliament. We can show allegiance to some lady in England, but we cannot say prayers.”
The 2021 census has revealed Christians are dwindling in numbers, with only 44 per cent of Aussies identifying as Jesus-worshippers.
When you compared that figure to the last census in 2016, which came in at 61 per cent, it's a pretty big decline.
Advert
Non-believers now make up 39 per cent of Australia's population, up from 30 per cent in 2016.
If Christianity continues to lose worshippers at this rate, then having no religion will become the next 'dominant religion' at the 2026 census.
Topics: Australia
Stewart Perrie