Source: ABS Census 2011 Data 61.1% 2.2% 2.5% 1.3% 0.5% 0.8% 22.3% 8.6% RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION - AUSTRALIA

What is your religion? AUSTRALIANS & RELIGION: CHRISTIAN, SPIRITUAL & NONE

How active are you in practicing your religion? RELIGIOUS IDENTITY, BUT LESS ACTIVITY

What best describes your current religious status? OUTGROWING RELIGION

MODIFIED ENGEL SCALE What best describes your current beliefs & attitudes towards Christianity? SIGNIFICANT “WARMTH” TOWARDS CHRISTIANITY

Mass media & social media a growing influence. Who or what has most influenced your perceptions & opinions of Christians & Christianity? FAMILY IS FORMATIVE

BUT ALMOST HALF ARE TO SOME EXTENT “OPEN” How open are you to changing your religious worldview? HALF ARE... “NOT OPEN AT ALL”

For many....., the idea of God has simply faded into irrelevancy. Most.... do not think much about the questions of God’s existence. There are few private or public practices that keep the sense of God alive. Thus the picture is not predominantly one of the dogmatic rejection of God, but rather a fading of the importance of thinking about the question. (Dr Phillip Hughes, CRA, “Pointers” March 2012)

Not open to change To what extent do the following block or engage you...? BELIEF BLOCKERS: DOCTRINE & PRACTICES (“BLOCK COMPLETELY”)

Open to change To what extent do the following block or engage you...? BELIEF BLOCKERS: DOCTRINE & PRACTICES (“BLOCK COMPLETELY”)

Not open to change To what extent do the following attract or repel you...? BELIEF BLOCKERS: CHRISTIANITY & THE CHURCH (“MASSIVE NEGATIVE”)

Open to change To what extent do the following attract or repel you? BELIEF BLOCKERS: CHRISTIANITY & THE CHURCH (“MASSIVE NEGATIVE”)

1. Church abuse 2. Hypocrisy 3. Judging others 4. Religious wars 5. Suffering 6. Issues around money 7. Outdated 8. Hell & condemnation 9. Homosexuality 10. Exclusivity CHRISTIANITY’S TOP TEN BELIEF BLOCKERS (NOT CHRISTIAN, OPEN & BLOCK COMPLETELY)

SIGNIFICANT BELIEF IN JESUS Was Jesus a real person from history?

Do you ever talk about spirituality or religion when you gather with friends? RELIGIOUS CONVERSATIONS: NOT ROUTINE, BUT NOT TABOO

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH?

1) Many of the issues we see in this research are about the credibility of organised religion, not arguments about the credibility of belief.

2) It’s helpful to remember that many responses are actually a smokescreen for people’s real reasons for not being open to Christian faith.

3) We need to be aware that in the wider community, what we hear on faith are the noisy and passionate extremes.

4) Tone matters. How you communicate is as important as what you say?

5) It's not about being popular

1. suffering 2. the bible 3. supernatural 4. religious violence 5. exclusive faith 6. church abuse 7. science & God 8. homosexuality 9. the church 10. towards belief

> Defuse belief blockers so response is possible >Give responses not answers >Accessible information >World’s best minds >Easy to watch >Logos, pathos & ethos (Aristotle) >Create open discussion >Give Christians more confidence WHAT DOES THE SERIES SEEK TO DO?

TOWARDS BELIEF TRAILER

PRESENTED BY KARL FAASE OLIVE TREE MEDIA facebook.com/towardsbelief