1. Is God dead?
Russell Grenning
On April 8, 1966 “Time” magazine ran itsfamouscoverwiththe wordsin large redtype on a black
backgroundposingthe question, “IsGod dead?”
It provokeda stormof criticism – withcommittedChristiansseeingthe headline aseither
blasphemy,anapocalypticannouncementorevenadeclarationof war.Atheistsandother
secularistssaidit wasthe deathknell forall religion.
I was inYear 12 and my parentsat myurginghad subscribeddespite mummy’smisgivings. Finally,
she had beenpersuadedthatitwas – in herwords – “fairly respectabledespitebeing American”.
Mummy hasalwayshad the deepestsuspicionsof Americansbelievingthatmost,if notall, are
“common”. The secondshe sawthat coverit wassnatchedfrommy hands,consignedtoa fiery
deathand fatherwasorderedtocall the newsagentandcancel the subscription.
There wasno doubtat all inmummy’smindthatthiswas communism,tantamounttopornography
and an assaultonall thingsthatwe helddearlike the Queen. She wasalreadyworriedaboutthe
driftinworldaffairssince the retirementof Prime MinisterSirRobertMenziesthe previousJanuary.
Thisutter disgrace wasconfirmationof herconcern.
The questioncontinuestobe asked –in April,2013 the Englishheavymetal group “BlackSabbath”
releasedadittywiththe same name andas recentlyaslast May, ABC radioinMelbourne hada
panel discussionaboutthe same question.
What many,includingmummy,failedtograsp wasthat the “Time” covermerelyposedthe question
– itwasn’t“God is dead”– and notsome sort of confirmationthatthe relentlessmarchof reason
and science hadcrushedthe lastvestigesof faith.
In fact,the article accompanyingthe magazine coverwasentitled “Towardsa Hidden God”and only
brieflymentionedinitsintroductionthe so-called“God IsDead”movement.Notforthe firsttime,
and mostcertainlynotforthe lasttime,a headline wasfarmore dramaticthanthe storywarranted.
Indeed,theyhadpreviouslyrunastory – “The ‘God Is Dead’Movement”inOctober,1965 butour
householddidn’thave asubscriptionthensoitevadedmummy’sradar.The article actuallypointed
out that the immediate realitydidnotindicateadeathof God or religionwithasmanyas 97% of
Americansdeclaringabelief inGodalthoughonly27% declaredthemselvestobe deeplyreligious.
The supreme ironywasthat “Time” ran a frontcover onDecember26, 1969, “Is God Coming Back To
Life?” – the “God Is Dead”movementwasitself dyingaccordingtothe story.
Accordingto the AustralianBureauof Statistics,the AtheistFoundationof Australiarana campaign
priorto the lastcensusencouragingpeopletoreport “No Religion” on theircensusform and 58,900
declaredthemselvesatheists, upfrom31,300 inthe previouscensus.

2. There were three othersub-groups –agnostic,humanistandrationalistwhicheachscoredlessthat
1% - while the “No Religion”but withoutanyfurtherdefinition comprised97.8% of the “No
Religion” total. Of course,the AtheistFoundationwashardlyinanypositiontoprayfor a better
result,were they?
Until 1961, maleswere more thantwice aslikelytoreportnoreligionasfemalesatatime when the
overall numberreporting“noreligion”waslessthan1%. From1971, the gap betweenthe sexes
lessenedandthensteadied –inthe lastcensus24% of malessaidtheyhadno religioncompared
with21% of females. The ABSestimatesthatoverthe pastcentury, those reporting“noreligion”
have increasedfromone in250 to one in 25.
Those declaring“noreligion”inthe 2011 census – almost4.8 millionor22% - are the secondlargest
groupbehindCatholicswith 25%but aheadof Anglicanswith17%
Before the age of 20 nowadaysthe gendergapisnon-existentbutfromthat age the gap between
menand womenwidensandthenremainsfairlysteadyfromage 35 withmengenerallyaround4%
more likelytoreportnoreligion.
AmongolderAustralians,only10%of all 65 and olderpeople reportednoreligion.Itsuggeststhatas
people age,itis increasinglylikelythattheywill change theirviewsandreturntodeclaringa religion.
Can we see thisas an indicationof theirownmortality?
Perhapsthe celebratedCanadian poetIrvingLayton – bornJewishbuta tirelesscampaignerduring
hislonglife againstPuritanism –gotit rightwhenhe remarked, “God is indeed dead.He died of self-
horrorwhen He sawthe creature He had madein His own image.”
Anda somewhatsimilarthoughtfromJosephHeller,inhisbook “Catch 22” “When you considerthe
opportunity and powerHehad to really do a job,and then lookat the stupid,ugly little messHe
madeof it instead,His sheer incompetenceis almoststaggering.”