Opposition to the Australian Democrat survey God and Government is increasing as prominent Christian commentators and every-day believers combine to label the questionnaire "loaded' and "deceptive'.
The online survey which is being conducted on the Democrat's national web page purports to discover Australian's attitudes towards the interaction of religion and politics.
However concern is rising amongst Sydney Anglicans that the styles of questions seriously misrepresent the Christian faith.
"In my view, the questions are a bit loaded," says Dr Andrew Cameron, director of Sydney Diocese' Social Issues Executive.
Questions that have raised the most ire include those that assume an inconsistency between religious involvement in the political process and the common good.
One question asks, "Do you think that politicians who have strong religious beliefs should try to use the political system to turn their religious beliefs into law?"
Dr Cameron believes the survey's designer are in favour a style of "separation of church and state' that goes well beyond the philosophy's original intention.
"This [church / state] distinction was invented to protect one's freedom to pursue the truth without external coercion," he says.
"However some now think we should remove religious belief and expression from the public thought and talk of those who work towards a good society."
Dr Cameron believes the Democrat's survey is tainted by the assumption.
"On this view, public funding should be very restricted for those who work towards a good society and are guided by worldviews other than that of political liberalism."
Email campaigns challenge assumptions
The Rt. Rev. Glenn Davies, Bishop of North Sydney, has approved a grass-roots email campaign urging Sydney church-goers to make themselves heard.
"The Democrats are currently building a campaign to silence Christians," it states.
"They’ve begun with a survey that asks loaded questions like: "Should funding for school chaplains be redirected towards funding for professional counselors?'"
"No doubt they'll use the results to show that Australians think God has no place at school, or hospitals, or parliament."
Jim Ramsay, CEO of Evangelism ministries, has joined the call to speak out, asking his contacts to consider the consequences of staying silent.
"Take three minutes and fill it in," he advises.
"I'm sure that others who have a decidedly different opinion to us will be doing so."
Interdenominational Opposition
The God and Government survey is galvanizing opposition across denominational lines.
A flurry of similar email-based campaigns have been encouraging Christians to register their dissent.
Bob Thomas, the Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church, has described the research as the "latest volley in the war of the Democrats against Christianity and Christian values.'
"They are obviously hoping for an overwhelming anti-Christian result," Mr Thomas writes.
"But if heaps of Christians answer the survey, the result will upset them! I wonder if they’d still publish it?"
However Les Nixon, co-ordinator of the aircraft-based evangelistic service Outback Patrol wonders whether participation will bring about the hoped for result.
"Innocent Christians may be seduced to answer, believing we are doing a Christian service, but [being] deceived into saying something else," he says.
He says respondents are being presented with options that are based on misleading or inaccurate information.
"[One question] asks, "Should religion be part of the school curriculum?', as though it is up to us," he says.
"But the fact is federal legislation of 1880, amended in 1988 by the states, requires the Christian faith be taught to every public school student for a period of one hour per week. If we vote the way the Australian Democrat's wish, they would be armed with stats to support their claim it should be removed."
Informed participation
Dr Cameron says Christians don't have to go into the survey blind.
"There is more to be said about the issues raised by this survey than can be dealt with [by email]. Other responses to the survey can be found around the net," he says.
He is recommending respondents read the "Church and State' lectures available in document and DVD format through the New College web site.
Click here to access the Australian Democrats' online survey on God and Government.
Sydneyanglicans.net Poll
Christians commonly express themselves on a wide range of issues. Sydney Anglicans recently launched a $50,000 campaign combatting "The Da Vinci Code'. Should churches tackle political parties?
