Australians support religious freedom protections for individuals but less for institutions such as schools or hospitals run by religious organisations, a new report for the Centre for Independent Studies has found. The findings do not “bode well for the prospect of any robust protection of religious freedom in this country,” says the repor t, which is being released as the government struggles to pass its religious discrimination bill. Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The government’s religious freedom bill is still a draft.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen “This is because religious freedom depends, in part, on the preservation of distinctive religious institutions and communities," the report says. "To maintain their distinctiveness, such institutions and communities need to have the freedom to select their members and employees on religiously-grounded criteria. "Without this freedom being protected in some way from the increasing reach of anti-discrimination law, these institutions and communities will not be able to fulfil their roles and social functions." The CIS commissioned a survey of 1072 Australians and found that 78 per cent agreed that respecting religious traditions and beliefs should be an important part of a multicultural society. It also found that 56 per cent believe people should not be allowed to ridicule […]
