Rationalising religion: The role of religion and conscience in Australian politics

Abstract

This article investigates the complex problem of the role of religion in Australian politics. As a liberal democracy, Australia is a state in which the establishment of a state religion is prohibited and the free expression of religion is upheld. Religionists, like all citizens, are free to express their personal opinions but any religious motivations should be translated into secular reasons if their opinions are to be given any weight in public policy. I trace the development of the separation of church and state, and evaluate its contemporary usefulness for understanding religion and politics in Australia. Particular regard is paid to the idea that religious authorities command the beliefs of their adherents. A case study investigating the influence of religion in the debate surrounding communism in the 1950s is analysed. In a representative democracy like Australia, it is expected that politicians represent their electorate rather than being accountable to religious authority, so this article investigates its origins in theology and its effectiveness. I propose that it would be useful to reframe our thinking about how religion informs an individual’s convictions, by viewing religion as one of many influences that shape one’s conscience. Finally, I combine and evaluate existing threads in the literature to weave a starting point of a unified ‘systems theory of conscience’ to the extent its key determinants affect public policy.