The most interaction I had with Eastern religions before I came to Australia was from a few days of lectures in my ninth grade history class and eighth grade geography class. Georgetown University teaches me plenty about Catholicism, something I’m familiar with having grown up Catholic, but it never pushed me to explore religion outside of Catholicism. RLST 1002 did push me to expand my horizons. I finally learned what a Hare Krishna was actually promoting and what the Bhagavad Gita was outside of Oppenheimer. I was so inspired by the course that I actively tried to seek out religious practices of these minority religions while living in Sydney.
Luckily, Sydney is an extremely religiously diverse city, which makes this easier. Yes, 51.7% of Sydneysiders do not consider themselves to be religious, while only 24% are nonreligious in DC, but of those Sydneysiders who do practice religion, there are more Buddhists than Anglicans. This is surprising for a country founded by settlers from the British Isles. I visited a Buddhist center in the countercultural neighborhood of Newtown. Additionally, I visited my first Holi celebration last March, and although I can’t pretend I fully understand the religious significance of the tradition, I did find the experience very rewarding.
I think the most interesting day of class had to be the one on secular religiosity. We read the U.S. Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence as sacred texts. I had never interpreted them before as having a religious significance, but after spending time in Australia, I view them very differently. Barely anyone I met in Australia knew the first prime minister, while almost every Australian knew figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin (thanks in part to Hamilton).
The way Americans deify our founding fathers is reminiscent of a type of national myth. We tell stories about them like religious figures, treating George Washington’s voyage over the Delaware like Moses’ parting of the Red Sea, and the winter at Valley Forge like a test from God. Our founding documents are so sacred that Donald Trump is currently selling God Bless the USA Bibles with an included copy of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Pledge of Allegiance. When I think about it, these documents act as a sort of sacred text. When people defend gun rights, they cite the Bill of Rights almost like a priest would cite the Bible. We treat our system of checks and balances as holy, and we design our most venerable government buildings to look like monasteries of marble, praising values of freedom, opportunity, and democracy rather than salvation after death, spirituality, and God. These are ideas I never would have understood without exposure in Australia.
But, this secular religiosity extends to Australia as well. For a long period in its history, Australia was fiercely loyal to the crown, regardless as to whether or not their support of the United Kingdom was the best decision for the nation itself. There was virtually no reason for Australia to join World War I other than to remain loyal to the crown and in the mistaken belief, blinded by their belief in the strength of the empire, that the United Kingdom would reciprocate their help in Australia’s hour of need. This, of course, utterly failed to materialize when the threat of Japanese invasion loomed in World War II.
However, the most profound example of national reverence in Australia is the commemoration of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops, or ANZACs. ANZAC Day, dedicated to remembering the Gallipoli campaign, highlights a deep national pride despite the campaign's military outcome. Australians honor the ANZACs for their unique qualities, such as larrikinism, mateship, and loyalty. This day is so significant that the game two-up, traditionally played by soldiers, is only legalized on ANZAC Day in their honor. It's fascinating to see how Australians express "ANZAC Pride," reflecting on the enduring legacy of these soldiers. The way a military defeat is commemorated with such respect and significance is unique and intriguing, offering a different perspective on national pride and collective memory, especially considering more than a third of Australians identify as non-religious.
Whatever the case, I gained a newfound appreciation and understanding of eastern religions and I gained new perspectives analyzing secular holidays and ideologies from a religious studies perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed my semester abroad in Australia.
