Australian Christians have pledged to "make a stand" after raising concerns that the church has effectively been "silenced" by the nation's anti-discrimination laws.
Religious leaders contend that believers face mounting pressure to confine their faith to the private sphere, particularly when it comes to contentious topics such as gender identity, child-rearing and schooling.
George Christensen, a former member of Parliament now representing CitizenGO, warned that Christians are being taught a troubling new lesson: "Stay quiet."
"The idea is that your faith is not to be lived openly or expressed in 'controversial' areas like gender, parenting or education," Mr Christensen said.
"It's not paranoia; it's a pattern of expanding rules and complaint-based systems being used to pressure us into silence. People are self-censoring to protect their jobs."
Mr Christensen dismissed the notion that simply being able to attend church services and sing hymns amounts to genuine religious freedom, describing this as a "hollowed-out version of faith."
The Canberra Declaration, an advocacy organisation championing Christian values, unveiled the Australian Christian Freedom Index on March 11 alongside a comprehensive 40-page report examining what it describes as anti-Christian trends in 2025.
It aims to compile documented evidence and survey data demonstrating how state authorities allegedly curtail religious liberties, with plans to present findings to lawmakers and media outlets.
Christians in Australia have raised concerns that the church has been 'silenced' by the nation's anti-discrimination laws
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Warrick Marsh, one of the group’s leaders, characterised the index as a "line in the sand" for politicians and critics of Christianity.
"We've been losing these freedoms for many, many years, for decades, and we need to make a stand.”
Fellow leader Kurt Mahlburg said: "The ACFI brings together multiple lines of evidence to paint the most comprehensive picture of Christian freedom in Australia ever produced."
The panel drew a stark contrast between Australia's legal framework and the robust protections afforded by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
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'We've been losing these freedoms for many, many years, for decades, and we need to make a stand,' Christian advocates have said
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Mr Mahlburg observed that Australian law provides only limited "exemptions" rather than substantive rights for religious believers.
"What strikes me is that in Australia, we really don't have religious freedom explicitly protected in law, not robustly," Mr Mahlburg said.
He acknowledged that Section 116 of the Australian Constitution offers a modest recognition of religious liberty, but argued that successive governments have neglected to strengthen these foundations.
"In the last couple of decades, federal and state governments have brought in anti-discrimination and vilification legislation," the Christian advocate said.
Advocates have launched a new initiative to draw a 'line in the sand' for politicians and critics of Christianity
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"Christian freedom in Australia has become a series of 'carve-outs' or exemptions in other laws... Structurally, the situation in Australia is not good."
The group is currently reviewing state legislation following instances where Christian schools have reportedly been compelled to employ staff who do not share their religious convictions, as well as cases involving medical professionals and restrictions on preaching near abortion clinics.
Augusto Zimmerman, a law professor establishing a Christian law school in Sydney, took aim at the state's approach to anti-discrimination protections.
"I want the state to leave me alone," Mr Zimmerman said.
"The greatest sin of Australia is the idolatry of the government. We need to stop asking for more laws and start voting for politicians who will repeal them. I don't feel we are free in this country anymore."
Christianity remains the largest religion in Australia, with 43.9 per cent of the population, around 11 million people, identifying as Christian in the 2021 census.
The largest denominations are Roman Catholic (around 20 per cent) and Anglican (about 10 per cent), alongside smaller groups such as Uniting Church, Orthodox, Baptist, and Pentecostal communities.
However, the share of Christians has declined sharply over recent decades, falling from over 60 per cent in 2011 and 52 per cent in 2016 to below 44 per cent in 2021, while the proportion reporting no religion has surged.
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