A new Australian report has uncovered a growing antagonism toward Christianity Down Under.
The Australian Christian Freedom Index (ACFI), released by the Canberra Declaration, surveyed more than 10,000 Christians, 92% of whom responded that they felt “it is riskier to affirm Christian beliefs than five years ago.”
‘Denied opportunities’
And 73% of responders said they “felt pressured to keep their beliefs private in public, online or at work” while 42% “experienced hostility, threats or harassment for expressing a Christian worldview.” One in four Christians said they were “denied opportunities in work, volunteering or leadership” due to their Christian beliefs.
Over the last 25 years, Christian freedoms have been limited through 74 acts of Parliament that are still enforceable by law. Nearly half of those were passed in the last five years.
Types of laws affecting Christians include the criminalization of certain conversion practices, including types of prayer and pastoral care, regardless of whether an individual requested the care or not. Other laws allow individuals to file complaints and prosecute those who teach Biblical views on sexuality. Within healthcare, mandates exist that force healthcare workers to file referrals for procedures that violate their religious beliefs, such as transgender surgeries.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Hannah Davis and originally published by Decision Magazine.
