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 Health-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 Builders Church in Gippsland, she has spoken out about the church’s efforts to infiltrate mainstream political parties and about the threat of Christian dominionism in Australia.

Following the US presidential election, Clare wrote a piece on this topic for the ‘Rationale’ magazine, titled ‘The white God problem in politics’. Read the article here.

The Secular Agenda podcast is hosted by Si Gladman, the Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, become a member or make a donation on our website.

The theme music of The Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it is by Shimmer.

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 full webinar here on our YouTube channel.

Read a review about the webinar here on our website.

For more information about upcoming webinars and to register to attend them, visit the webinars page on our website.

The theme music of the Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.

To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, you can become a member or make a donation on our website.

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.

David joined us to speak about his new book, Mine is the Kingdom: The rise and fall of Brian Houston and the Hillsong Church.

You can watch the full webinar here on our YouTube channel.

Read a review about the webinar here on our website.

You can purchase David’s book here at Allen&Unwin Publishers.

For more information about upcoming webinars and to register to attend them, visit the webinars page on our website.

The theme music of the Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.

To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, you can become a member or make a donation on our website.

This episode explores the stalemate in federal politics over religious exemptions in 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. In this episode, Steph also speaks about her personal journey of being raised in a hardline church, her struggle with her sexuality while an active member of the church, and then her journey out of religion.  

In August 2021, Steph told her story publicly in the Sydney Morning Herald. Read the article here.

In 2023, her book, In/Out: A scandalous story of falling into love and out of the church, was published by ABC Books. You can purchase it here.

The Secular Agenda podcast is hosted by Si Gladman, the Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, become a member or make a donation on our website.

The theme music of The Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it is by Shimmer.

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 February 2024 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.

You can watch the full webinar here on our YouTube channel.

Read a review about the webinar here on our website.

For more information about upcoming webinars and to register to attend them, visit the webinars page on our website.

The theme music of the Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.

To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, you can become a member or make a donation on our website.

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. Proctor raised the problem as part of his submission to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. 

Proctor spoke to the podcast in a personal capacity about his submission to the Royal Commission, and his views are his own. Read his submission here.

Christianity dominates Dawn Services in the Defence Force, at the Australian War Memorial, and in the wider public. The Rationalist Society of Australia is lobbying government and other bodies for secular reform on this issue. Read more here.

According to official Defence data, the majority of Australian Defence Force personnel are not religious. Former Army Colonel and Defence statistician Phillip Hoglin has written about the decline of religious affiliation in Defence. Read more here.

In an article published this month in an official Army publication, Hoglin has written on the need for junior soldiers and officers to question some of the Army’s inappropriate and non-contemporary traditions, including those dominated by Christianity. Read more here.

In late 2022, a spokesperson for veterans affairs minister Matt Keogh told the Rationalist Society of Australia that events such as Anzac Day were “welcoming to all” and recognised the diversity of the Defence Force workforce and Australian community. Read more here.

The podcast is hosted by Si Gladman, Executive Director of the Rationalist Society of Australia. To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, become a member or make a donation on our website.

The theme music of The Secular Agenda  podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.

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 webinar, she spoke about how, following the release of the most recent Census data, significant sections of the media responded to the rapid rise in non-religious identification in the national Census with concern, defensiveness and fear.

You can watch the full webinar here on our YouTube channel.

Read a review about the webinar here on our website.

For more information about upcoming webinars and to register to attend them, visit the webinars page on our website.

The theme music of the Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.

To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, you can become a member or make a donation on our website.

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 ministers – in order to represent the voices of non-religious and ex-religious citizens on matters relating to religion.

Before the state election last year, the Rationalist Society of Australia (RSA) warned the then Minns opposition that the party’s proposal to establish a Faith Affairs Council would privilege the voices of religious clerics even further in policy making and marginalise the voices of non-religious citizens. Read more here.

In May 2023, multicultural minister Steve Kamper told the RSA that the proposed Faith Affairs Council would have “a diversity of viewpoints” represented. Read more here.

In September 2023, atheist leader Steve Marton nominated himself for a position on the Faith Affairs Council. Read more here.

In early November, a government official informed Mr Marton that the government had rejected his nomination. Read more here.

In December, Mr Marton, speaking on radio, warned that the religious leaders elected to the body hold views at odds with the wider community and most religious people. Read more here.

The podcast is hosted by Si Gladman, the Campaigns & Communications Coordinator for the Rationalist Society of Australia. To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, become a member or make a donation on our website.

The theme music of The Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.

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 Grant.

In the webinar, she discussed how the methods of indoctrination used in programs such as Religious Instruction in Queensland and Special Religious Education in New South Wales undermine fundamental educational aims and raise problems for schools as they seek to help children to navigate disinformation, conspiratorial thinking and science denialism.

You can watch the full webinar here on our YouTube channel.

Read more about Dr Bleazby’s research here.

The theme music of the Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.

To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, you can become a member or make a donation on our website.

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 Legislative Assembly to ask that the state government amends the Education Act (1990) so that optional SRE and Special Education in Ethics (SEE) run only during participating students' own time, such as breaks or before or after school. 

If you are a citizen of New South Wales, please add your name to the petition. You can sign it here on the New South Wales Parliament website.

In August 2023, the Sydney Morning Herald published an article detailing declining participation rates in SRE and growing opposition to SRE among education sector stakeholders. Read the article here.

At budget estimates in October this year, education minister Prue Car ruled out any changes to the SRE program. Read more about that here.

This year, the Rationalist Society of Australia has raised concerns with Minister Car about the teaching of creationism in Christian SRE. Read more here.  Also, the RSA has discovered Islamic teaching materials that warn children of “hellfire” and tell them to not “compromise or change your identity”. Read more here.

The podcast is hosted by Si Gladman, the Campaigns & Communications Coordinator for theRationalist Society of Australia To support the work of the Rationalist Society of Australia, you can become a member or make a donation on our website.

The theme music of The Secular Agenda podcast is called 'Curiosity', and it's by Shimmer.