How many people believe in God? How often do Australians go to church? How many people think that species emerge from the process of natural selection by survival of the fittest?
This volume concerns a range of moral issues and worldviews, focussing on two worldviews that are fundamentally important in Australia at the dawn of the 21st century: Christian belief and the scientific worldview.
This is a great starting point for discussions on today’s hottest ethical issues. The book presents a dispassionate, balanced presentation of excellent public opinion data spanning the range of views in Australia today. Classes on contemporary Australian society, values, and ethics will all discover a wealth of material in this book on topics ranging from homosexuality to abortion to genetic modification to foreign aid to national identity.
This book describes these community bioethics and examines the worldviews and moral reasoning processes that Australians use to arrive at their ethical judgments. Accessible graphical presentations of results are underpinned by state of the art statistical analyses. International, comparative data are also presented on many issues.
Table of Contents
PART ONE: RELIGION
CHAPTER 1: Religious belief in Australia
Research note: Factor analysis
Research note: Going to church makes people happier
CHAPTER 2: Keeping the faith? Catholics, Anglicans and other denominations in Australia
CHAPTER 3: Christian belief and church attendance in 30 nations - Jonathan Kelley and Nan Dirk De Graaf
CHAPTER 4: National context, parental socialisation and religious belief - Jonathan Kelley and Nan Dirk De Graaf
CHAPTER 5: Australians’ views about the theory of evolution
Research note: Life on Mars
CHAPTER 6: Religion and politics in 28 nations
CHAPTER 7: Should clerics refrain from politics? Separation of church and state in Australia, with international comparisons
PART TWO: MORALITY AND PUBLIC POLICY
CHAPTER 8: Attitudes towards homosexuality in 29 nations
CHAPTER 9: Attitudes to abortion: Australia in comparative perspective - Jonathan Kelley, MDR Evans, and Bruce Headey
CHAPTER 10: Becoming a person: Australian public opinion on when an embryo is human
CHAPTER 11: Stem cells: Public opinion on treatment and research using foetal tissue - M.D.R. Evans, Jonathan Kelley, and Esmail D. Zanjani
CHAPTER 12: Public approval of foetal stem cell use depends on the intentions of the donor - M.D.R. Evans, Jonathan Kelley, and Esmail D. Zanjani
CHAPTER 13: Should cloning be allowed? Public attitudes in Australia, 2002
Research Note: Aims for scientists
CHAPTER 14: Ideology and fear of genetic engineering: Public opinion in Australia 1993-2002
CHAPTER 15: Moral feelings about tax cheating and welfare fraud in 29 nations
Research note: Volunteer work benefits the giver as well as the receiver
CHAPTER 16: Charity work: International differences and Australian trends
Research note: Money buys happiness, but not much
CHAPTER 17: Global inequality: Moral obligation of wealthy nations?
CHAPTER 18: Attitudes in 26 countries in 1999-2000 - Joanna Sikora
CHAPTER 19: National goals: Survey data from 24 nations
APPENDIX: Data, methods and measurement
References
Cumulative index
Cumulative index of names