Discussion has flared up in Australia about what sorts of days should be celebrated and marked with public holiday status. But despite consecutive Census data showing Australia is becoming more secular and atheist, Easter and Christmas remain widely celebrated, albeit in less Christian and more secular ways. Does the idea of Easter and Christmas being marked as public holidays rub up against the Australian ideal of a secular, multicultural country?

SubjectACT’s Nathan Gubler spoke with Dr Meredith Doig, President of the Rationalist Society of Australia, to see if there are any particularly strong views about this. The discussion veers into general issues regarding the separation of church and state, including the schools chaplaincy program, school funding, Sunday penalty rates and prayers before parliament.

The Rationalist Society of Australia can be found at www.rationalist.com.au, and also on Facebook. The alternative to Prayers Before Parliament can be found at www.rationalist.com.au/an-alternativ…parliament-2/