Census reveals Warrnambool's changing religious views

Chris Rantall, 55, said putting into practice the teachings of the Bible helped him turn his life around.

Mr Rantall, who served in East Timor, said he was suffering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

He said he had hate in his heart and admitted he was homicidal.

Mr Rantall said he hit rock bottom in 2005 and out of desperation, he started reading the Bible.

He said if he hadn't accepted God's love he would be "either dead or in jail".

Mr Rantall said he was surprised the majory of Warrnambool residents who responded to the census said they did not identify with a religion.

He said he hoped talking about his experience would help other people turn their lives around.

"It wasn't an instant fix for me, but over time I started putting into practice the teachings of the Bible and I now have purpose, I've got hope.

"I accept that I'm not well but I'm able to cope with it better, I have acceptance.

"I now look at the best things in life instead of focusing on the negatives.

"When I started allowing God into my life and into my heart that hate was replaced with love."

Mr Rantall, a member of Warrnambool's Seventh Day Adventist Church, said his faith was a tool that helped him deal with his PTSD.

"I was in and out of the veterans' psych ward in Melbourne," he said.

"In there I learnt different tools but the one that completed everything was faith."

Mr Rantall's faith and love of God helped him remain positive when he was involved in a freak skydiving accident in Torquay in 2021.

He said the actions of a stranger - skydiving instructor Arron Toepfer - who tragically died as a result of his injuries saved him.

"I just praise God and thank God for everything," Mr Rantall said.

The census data showed 15,303 residents (38.4 per cent) did not have an affiliation with any religion.

It also showed 9450 people had an affiliation with the Catholic Church (20 per cent) while 2344 were Anglican.

The number of people who did not have an affiliation with any religion increased in the past five years, with 29.6 selected no religion in 2016.

The number of Catholics declined from 22.6 per cent in 2016 to 20 per cent in 2021.

In 2011, 25 per cent of residents said they were affiliated with the Catholic Church while in 2001 26 per cent selected the faith as their religion.

Presbyterian and Reformed was the next most popular with 1470, followed by Uniting Church and almost 800 were Christian.

More than 400 people were affiliated with the Baptist church while 219 were Pentecostal.

Other religions that a number of residents selected were Lutheran (263), Eastern Orthodox (94), Jehovah's Witnesses (56), Latter-day Saints (23), Hinduism (163), Islam (118), Judaism (30) and Sikhism (50).

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