Australian Catholics are having fewer children than the rest of the population. More of them have jobs than non-Catholics, they earn more, and far more are buying their own homes.
A new book, The Catholic Community in Australia, by the church's chief researcher, Bob Dixon, shows that the median income for Catholic households is $900 a week compared with $740 for non-Catholics; 57 per cent of Catholics have jobs compared with 53 per cent of non-Catholics; and 70 per cent of Catholic households own or are buying a home compared with 56 per cent of the rest.
Catholics, while still the biggest religious group, are shrinking as a percentage of all Australians, down to 26.6 per cent, from 27.3 per cent in 1991. Anglicans comprise 20 per cent.
Attendance at Mass is down, and fewer young people are identifying as Catholic. Once "active" Catholics meant those who attended Mass every Sunday - the rest...
Both our Toyotas are US-built. BTW, the std. auto-bigot epithet of "rice burner" has some weight; "Toyota", originally "Toyoda," means "abundant rice field."
I suspect most Buddhists/Shintoists are pretty nominal. Paganism is basically a form of bribery, which doesn't require much personal commitment, so it is very compatible with general religious apathy.
33 K, these generalizations came from the National Geographic magazine. Neil, I wouldn't be surprised about your comments. As far as it goes, Toyota is the biggest car maker in Japan and perhaps United States.
Buddhism, which is not and conscientious objecter type of religion in Japan -- as we found out in World War II and Shintoism coexists without any problem in Japan. Shintoism is much like nature worship. It has no dogma to compete with Buddhism. Yes, their needs to be more Christian missionaries over there!
Jim - in the 80's and 90's the Japs bought up real estate in tourist areas at over inflated prices. When the Jap economy died most of it was sold back at rock bottom prices.....
Thanks for the response, Lance. I think you'll was in a National Geographic, that had article about Australia and how the Japanese were buying it up! Nothing like a bunch of hard-working, Buddhists.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 8/3/2009
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