Death: The Last Taboo

http://www.deathonline.net/ is an Australian website developed by the Australian Museum (see http://www.austmus.gov.au/ and http://www.amonline.net.au/). It approaches some of the key questions and issues surrounding death - what is death? (http://www.deathonline.net/what_is/index.cfm), what happens after death? (http://www.deathonline.net/what_happens/index.cfm), disposing of the dead (http://www.deathonline.net/disposal/index.cfm) and remembering the dead (http://www.deathonline.net/remembering/index.cfm). Although 64% of the Australian population described themselves as 'Christian' in the 2006 census, the country has no official state religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia). As a result, the website is of a predominantly secular nature. It approaches death mostly from a legal (for example http://www.deathonline.net/what_is/whatis.cfm, http://www.deathonline.net/what_is/defining.cfm#legal and http://www.deathonline.net/what_happens/autopsy/autopsy_rights.cfm) and cultural/historical context (http://www.deathonline.net/what_is/signs.cfm, http://www.deathonline.net/disposal/burial/index.cfm and http://www.deathonline.net/remembering/mourning/index.cfm) perspective, the latter occasionally delving into religious areas (http://www.deathonline.net/remembering/mourning/jewish.cfm and http://www.deathonline.net/what_is/defining.cfm#religious).

Despite its suggestive title ('Death - the last taboo'), this website doesn't make any religious or moral statements about death, or approach the subject with any particular agenda. I suspect this is because the website is connected to the Australian Museum (as mentioned above), and therefore has to maintain Australia's status as a country with no state religion.