Secular Agenda

Rationalist Society of Australia

This is a podcast by the Rationalist Society of Australia. It features interviews with people who are working for secular change.

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20 episodes
Avg 35 min
English

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#34
September 23 · 42 min
Indoctrination teaching methods dominate public schools’ religious instruction programs
This episode features an interview with Dr Jennifer Bleazby, a Senior Lecturer at Monash University’s School of Education, about her newly published research into the teaching materials used in religious instruction – or ‘scripture’ – programs in Australian public schools. Earlier this year, her research paper ‘Operationalizing the concept of indoctrination: a content analysis of religious curricula taught in public schools’ was published in the Journal of Curriculum Studies. In the article, she
#33
May 26 · 46 min
The campaign urging Australians to mark ‘No religion’ at the 2026 Census
This episode features an interview with Michael Dove, the spokesperson for the ‘Census 2026 – Not Religious?’ campaign. The joint campaign is urging Australians to mark ‘No religion’ if they are no longer religious at the national Census, being held in August this year. Michael speaks on how the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ended up deciding to re-use the flawed question for religious affiliation. He also talks about what the joint campaign will be doing in the coming weeks and months.
#32
April 24 · 24 min
A former military chaplain’s view on the imposition of religion on Anzac Day
This episode features an interview with Collin Acton, a former Christian chaplain and a former Director-General of the Royal Australian Navy's chaplaincy branch, about the imposition of religion in Anzac Day Dawn Services. Collin presided over Anzac Day commemorations during his 20-plus career as a chaplain in the military. As Navy’s top chaplain, he was instrumental in spearheading secular reform of Navy’s chaplaincy branch, leading to the introduction of secular wellbeing support roles in 2020
#31
March 26 · 47 min
The long road to removing religious exemptions from Western Australia’s equal opportunity laws
This episode highlights the lack of legislative action in Western Australia and nationally over religious exemptions to equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws, and the impact this is having particularly on LGBTIQ+ students and teachers in faith-based schools. It features an interview conducted with Brian Greig (2:16) in February. Brian is a spokesperson for national lobby group Just-Equal Australia. He was a leading advocate for same-sex marriage. He also served as a Senator for Western
#30
Dec 20, 2025 · 42 min
Improving access to voluntary assisted dying in Victoria
This episode highlights Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws, the new amendments to improve access for terminally ill people, and the continued efforts of opponents to wind back such laws across the country. The episode features an interview with Jane Morris (1:30), who is a long-time advocate for VAD and is President of Dying With Dignity Victoria. The organisation has been at the forefront of advocating for the end-of-life option, playing an influential role in seeing the state becom
#29
Oct 19, 2025 · 41 min
Supporting survivors of cults and high-demand groups
This episode highlights the psychological impacts and other harms experienced in cults and high-demand groups, and discusses the supports cult survivors need on their path to recovery. The episode features an interview with Maria Esguerra (2:03), a psychologist and director of the Olive Leaf Network Australia, which is dedicated to supporting former members of high-demand groups. Maria is a survivor of the Children of God cult – now known as the Family International. Maria co-authored a submiss
#28
Jun 19, 2025 · 34 min
The Victorian inquiry examining coercive control in cult groups
This episode highlights a new parliamentary inquiry in Victoria examining cults and organised fringe groups, the methods used to recruit and control their members, and the impacts of coercive control. The episode features an interview with Lara Kaput (02:10), a former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who became a whistleblower. For a number of years, Lara dedicated herself to advocacy work with the group known as Say Sorry. She has recently stepped down from Say Sorry but continues to advocate
#27
Apr 17, 2025 · 34 min
Reluctance to change at the Australian War Memorial
This episode examines the Australian War Memorial's response to public calls for it to stop imposing Christianity in the national Anzac Day Dawn Service in Canberra. The episode features an interview with David Stephens (01:45), the editor of the Honest History and Defending Country websites. Honest History has long been advocating for reforms on a number of issues relating to the War Memorial, and challenging the misuse of history to serve political or other agendas. It has publicly backed the
#26
Feb 21, 2025 · 33 min
Helping Australians to recover from religion
With increasing numbers of Australians walking away from religion, there is a growing need for support services to help people navigate the journey out of religion and to overcome the trauma of having lived with strict religious dogmas or having suffered years of abuse in coercive and repressive religious environments. One organisation helping to address this need in Australia is Recovering from Religion. This episode features an interview with Sherrie D'Souza (2:08), who is International Develo
#25
Dec 17, 2024 · 31 min
Understanding the Atlas Network and its links to Christian Nationalism
There has been increasing interest in a shadowy network of free-market think tanks seeking to influence economic and political policy in countries around the world, including in Australia. One emerging element of the Atlas Network is Christian Nationalism. This episode features an interview with Lucy Hamilton (1:48), who is currently undertaking PhD research into the links between Christian Nationalism and the Atlas Network in the Australian political context. Lucy has written a number of pieces
#24
Nov 23, 2024 · 43 min
What the Trump presidency will mean for Christian Nationalism and how it will inspire Australia’s Christian Right
With Donald Trump set to return to the presidency in 2025, the Christian Nationalist agenda looms large in the United States. But what will Trump’s re-election mean for the Christian Right in Australia? This episode features an interview with Clare Heath-McIvor (1:42), who is host of the ‘Unchurchable’ podcast, which examines religious trauma, damaging theologies, and life after church. Clare is the eldest child of pastors of a church involved in the dominionist movement. Since leaving the City
#23
Oct 9, 2024 · 18 min
RSA Webinar Highlights: Replacing prayer rituals – The push for more welcoming institutions
Each month, the Rationalist Society of Australia hosts a webinar, with a guest speaker, or speakers, presenting on a topic of interest. We share highlights of our past webinars here on this podcast. This episode features an interview with New South Wales upper house member Abigail Boyd, of the The Greens. For our October 2022 webinar, Abigail joined with other guest speakers to discuss the issue of the imposition of daily Christian prayers in parliaments and in local councils. You can watch the
#22
Aug 19, 2024 · 33 min
RSA Webinar Highlights: Hillsong and headlines – Insights from an investigative journalist
Each month, the Rationalist Society of Australia hosts a webinar, with a guest speaker, or speakers, presenting on a topic of interest. We share highlights of our past webinars here on this podcast. This episode features an interview with investigative journalist David Hardaker from our webinar in April 2024. David is well-known for his reporting on the controversies at Hillsong Church, its former leader Brian Houston, and the rising influence of Pentecostal Christianity in Australian politics.
#21
Jul 25, 2024 · 34 min
The political stalemate over religious exemptions in anti-discrimination laws
This episode explores the stalemate in federal politics over proposals to remove religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws. It features an interview with teacher Steph Lentz (1:48), who was fired from a Christian school because of her homosexuality. Steph has been a vocal advocate for the need to remove such exemptions from anti-discrimination laws. In 2023, she told her story in the book, ‘In/Out: A scandalous story of falling into love and out of the church’, published by ABC Books. I
#20
Jun 9, 2024 · 38 min
RSA Webinar Highlights: Secularism in the UK – Cutting ties with the state church
This episode features highlights from our February 2024 RSA Webinar, when Stephen Evans, the Chief Executive Office of the UK’s National Secular Society, shared insights on the entanglement of church and state in his country. With Christianity continuing to decline in the UK, Stephen spoke on why it is time to cut symbolic and institutional ties with the Church of England.
#19
May 13, 2024 · 46 min
How Christianity’s dominance of Anzac Day services excludes Defence personnel and veterans
This episode examines the religious dominance of important national commemorations, such as Anzac Day, and the need for secular reform of such events. The episode features an interview with Army veteran Sam Proctor (1:50), who separated from the Australian Army last year after 10 years of service. Sam raised the problem as part of his submission to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. He spoke to the podcast in a personal capacity about his submission to the Royal Commission, a
#18
Apr 3, 2024 · 36 min
RSA Webinar Highlights: Media responses to Australia’s increasing non-religiosity
Each month, the Rationalist Society of Australia hosts a webinar, with a guest speaker, or speakers, presenting on a topic of interest. We share highlights of our past webinars here on this podcast. This episode features highlights from our September 2023 webinar, when Dr Rebecca Banham shared insights into her research on the Australian media’s response to the rise of non-religious identification in the Census. Dr Banham is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Tasmania. In the webin
#17
Feb 14, 2024 · 26 min
The marginalisation of non-religious and ex-religious voices in New South Wales
This episode explores the development in New South Wales of the Faith Affairs Council and the state Labor government’s decision to block non-religious and ex-religious representation from the body. The episode features an interview with Steve Marton (2:25), who is president of Sydney Atheists. In November 2023, the state government rejected his application to become a member of the Faith Affairs Council. He applied for a position on the advisory body – which has a direct line to government minis
#16
Dec 30, 2023 · 31 min
RSA Webinar Highlights: How religious instruction undermines public education
Each month, the Rationalist Society of Australia hosts a webinar, with a guest speaker, or speakers, presenting on a topic of interest. We share highlights of our past webinars here on this podcast. This episode features highlights from our March 2023 webinar, when Dr Jennifer Bleazby presented on her research into current scripture laws and policies operating in public schools across the country. Dr Bleazby is a Senior Lecturer at Monash University. She is also a recipient of an RSA Research Gr
#15
Nov 24, 2023 · 20 min
The growing opposition to Special Religious Education in New South Wales
This episode explores the topic of Special Religious Education (SRE), or ‘scripture’, in New South Wales’ public schools, and the mounting public opposition to religious missionaries continuing to be allowed to interrupt the curriculum and take over class time. The episode features an interview with Steven Cowgill (4:48), a parent who has recently launched a petition on the New South Wales Parliament website. The petition – open for New South Wales citizens until 12 April 2024 – calls for the Le

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