There are millions of non-religious Australians. But despite our numbers, we have historically had a relatively quiet and unorganised voice compared with religious groups. So why does building a stronger humanist movement matter?
1. We’re a big community, but we haven’t always acted like one.
Millions of Australians identify as having no religion, but that hasn’t necessarily translated into an organised voice in public life. Religious organisations have spent decades building communities, institutions, networks and advocacy groups. Humanists have some catching up to do.
2. Secularism shouldn’t be taken for granted.
It’s easy to assume that Australia is safely secular and that religious influence in public life is a thing of the past. But religious organisations continue to have a significant presence in Australian politics and in institutions including schools, hospitals and aged care. For humanists, secularism isn’t about keeping religion out of society. It’s about making sure public institutions serve everyone, regardless of whether they are religious or non-religious.
3. Religious belief can still shape political decisions.
The personal religious convictions of politicians can have a significant bearing on debates about public policy. Voluntary assisted dying is one recent example. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has opposed removing federal restrictions affecting voluntary assisted dying by telehealth, while the federal government has also blocked an attempt by independent MP Kate Chaney to bring related reform to a vote. This has occurred despite Labor’s National Conference having backed reform and the issue being subject to a conscience vote. Whatever your position on the issue, it demonstrates why questions about religion, politics and the rights of non-religious Australians remain relevant.
4. Other countries show what a large humanist movement can look like.
Humanist organisations overseas have built substantial movements in their own countries. With a slightly smaller population than Victoria, Humanists Scotland has more than 15,000 paying members, while Humanists UK represents more than 150,000 members and supporters. Our membership here is much smaller, so there’s clearly room for humanism in Australia to grow. We’ve added almost 100 new members this year but to really make an impact we need to grow much faster.
5. Numbers matter.
The more members we have, the more seriously our organisation is taken by politicians, institutions and the media. Membership doesn’t just mean another name on a database. It helps demonstrate that there is an organised community of Australians who care about humanist values and want our perspective represented in public conversations. A larger movement increases our capacity to advocate, campaign, educate and support people in their everyday lives.
6. The political landscape is changing.
Around the world, we’re seeing a resurgence of religious nationalism and, worryingly, increasingly visible connections between conservative religious movements and right-wing politics. Australia isn’t isolated from those broader trends. We’ve seen political movements such as One Nation openly engage with questions of religion and national identity, while members of the Plymouth Brethren were reported to have campaigned for Liberal candidates during the 2025 federal election. For humanists, this makes it all the more important that a secular and non-religious perspective has an organised presence too.
7. Being counted is a form of participation.
Joining the Humanist Society is a simple way to say that you want to be counted as part of Australia’s non-religious community. You don’t have to be an activist. You don’t have to know everything about humanism. And you certainly don’t have to agree with every other humanist. Supporting us shows that you believe people can build a good society through reason, compassion, evidence, human rights and shared responsibility.
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Humanism as resistance doesn’t have to mean being against religion. Although some of our members certainly strongly dislike organised religion, all humanists are comfortable respecting the choices and beliefs of others.
Humanists want to actively build a society where no particular worldview gets special treatment, where people are free to think for themselves, and where our shared humanity is enough to give us common ground.
If that sounds like something you want to be part of, we’d love to have you with us.