Christianity has shed hundreds of thousand of devotees in the past seven years, while the number of non-religious has risen strongly.
Victoria University professor Paul Morris, who specialises in religious studies, said the country was in “new territory”, with Christianity losing its central position in society.
“For the first time since 1901, Christians are not the clear majority.”
The shift even raised questions about the appropriateness of Christian public holidays, such as Christmas, and the place of the church in schools.
“Are we no longer a Christian nation? There is a question mark,” he said. Continue reading