- Census figures show an increasing number of worshippers
are looking towards the earth, rather than the heavens, in search of God.
-
- There are now nearly 9000 witches in Australia, up from
fewer than 2000 in 1996, while the number of pagans more than doubled to
10,632.
-
- Druids, animists and pantheists, considered to be pagan
traditions, also increased their ranks between 1996-2001.
-
- "I wouldn't say there's been a mad stampede, but
over the past few years there's been a steady stream of inquiries,"
said Galen, a Victorian Pagan Alliance co-ordinator.
-
- Religious experts said the shift towards nature religions
was consistent with a growing emphasis on the esoteric beliefs in Australia.
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- Most of the major Christian denominations lost followers
during the past six years.
-
- Dr Neville Knight, a sociologist at Monash University,
said there was plenty of religious expression on offer.
-
- "There's certainly a smorgasboard of religious expressions
out there," he said.
-
- "There's so many different forms. You find people
will be attracted to crystals and all kinds of expressions of new age stuff."
-
- But Consumer Affairs Victoria warned that con artists
were keen to profit from those seeking the divine.
-
- It has received more than 100 complaints about clairvoyants,
palm readers and astrologers in the past two years.
-
- A quick Internet search shows there is no shortage of
costly solutions to spiritual problems, such as certificates in spiritual
healing philosophy for $480 offered by a Melbourne school, and a four-hour
soul retrieval for $60 offered by a Queensland company.
-
- The same company can perform a "DNA upgrade",
while a NSW venture is selling a $37 moisturiser linked to a traditional
Indian healing system.
-
- Dr Steve Russell, a sociology lecturer at Monash University,
said religion was increasingly mixing with marketing and commerce.
-
- "In some ways this is a reflection of the Americanisation
of the current religious scene in Australia," Dr Russell said.
-
- "We don't follow American religious trends slavishly,
but this is one way in which we do; the commercialisation of those kinds
of religious involvements."
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- http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,4612282%255E13762,00.html
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