For the first time, there are more non-religious than religious people in British Columbia.
Statistics Canada released 2021 census data last week examining religion, and the percentage of B.C. residents who have no religious affiliation is now 52.1, an increase from 44 per cent in 2011. B.C. is Canada含羞草研究社檚 least religious province 含羞草研究社� nationally, 34.6 per cent of Canadians have no religious affiliation.
In B.C., 34.3 per cent of residents are Christian: 12 per cent of British Columbians are Catholic, 8.8 are not-otherwise-specified Christian, 2.8 are Anglican, and 2.6 are affiliated with the United Church. Among non-Christian religions, 5.9 per cent of British Columbians are Sikh and 2.6 per cent are Muslim.
Canada含羞草研究社檚 six most non-religious census metropolitan areas are all in British Columbia. Nanaimo is the most non-religious metro area at 62.9 per cent, Kamloops is next at 60.8 per cent, then Victoria (60.5), Kelowna (54.4), Chilliwack (49.4), and Vancouver (47.1). Rounding out the top 10 are Red Deer, Alta., Belleville, Ont., Peterborough, Ont., and Kingston, Ont. The only B.C. census metropolitan area outside Canada含羞草研究社檚 top 10 is Abbotsford-Mission at 37 per cent.
Outside of census metropolitan areas, Canada含羞草研究社檚 most non-religious community is Squamish at 70.1 per cent.
Father Harrison Ayre of St. Peter含羞草研究社檚 Roman Catholic Church in Nanaimo said when considering the data, the terms 含羞草研究社榓ffiliation含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社榬eligion含羞草研究社� can be problematic. Someone is Catholic by virtue of their baptism, for example, but someone who attests to being Catholic 含羞草研究社� or any religion for that matter 含羞草研究社� might not necessarily be 含羞草研究社渁ttempting to live what they believe,含羞草研究社� he pointed out.
The B.C. Humanist Association, a non-profit that seeks to provide a community and voice for humanists, atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people, is also keenly interested in what the numbers represent. Ian Bushfield, executive director, said while the census data is accurate, the question about religious affiliation is open to interpretation.
含羞草研究社淲e do think it undercounts the number of non-religious and it paints a picture that shows people as being more actively religious than is necessarily the case,含羞草研究社� he said.
A StatsCan study from last year found that 18 per cent of Canadians say they have a religious affiliation but don含羞草研究社檛 participate in religious or spiritual activities and consider their religious or spiritual beliefs 含羞草研究社渢o be of little or no importance to how they live their lives.含羞草研究社�
Bushfield said it含羞草研究社檚 important to have the best available data because of 含羞草研究社済overnment entanglement with religion含羞草研究社� with funding for religious private schools, health-care facilities and homeless shelters, for example.
含羞草研究社淭hey may be more open to funding religious ones on a perception that there are lots of religious people who would be able to access that, but in reality, those can often discriminate or be barriers for people who are non-religious or of minority faith communities,含羞草研究社� he said.
Bushfield said British Columbia surpassing the 50-per cent non-religious threshold is 含羞草研究社渧ery symbolic含羞草研究社� and worthy of attention, but stressed that the majority shouldn含羞草研究社檛 necessarily direct government policy because even small minority beliefs should have their place.
含羞草研究社淲e should be taking a secular approach because it含羞草研究社檚 the best way to make sure we含羞草研究社檙e reflecting a neutrality that makes space for everyone and doesn含羞草研究社檛 privilege one viewpoint over another,含羞草研究社� he said.
Morality and meaning found in churches and secular society
If Nanaimo is Canada含羞草研究社檚 most non-religious metro area, it isn含羞草研究社檛 evident in the pews at St. Peter含羞草研究社檚, where there is a sort of 含羞草研究社渃ounter trend含羞草研究社� to the census data含羞草研究社檚 trajectory. Ayre said church attendance is at pre-pandemic levels and there is 含羞草研究社渁 spectrum of ages and cultures含羞草研究社� that he attributes in part to Vancouver Island University attracting young adults from around the world.
Broadly, there has 含羞草研究社渙bviously含羞草研究社� been a decline in church participation over the years that has been discussed and studied by church leaders at various levels.
含羞草研究社淧eople think it is a pragmatic question and thus deal with it in a pragmatic way 含羞草研究社� rather, it is the question of culture and human nature,含羞草研究社� Ayre said.
He suggested the 含羞草研究社渟ecular culture含羞草研究社� is itself a sort of religion, as 含羞草研究社渢here is no such thing as a culture that doesn含羞草研究社檛 attempt to answer the questions of human existence含羞草研究社� such as 含羞草研究社渨hy am I here? Who am I? Is there a purpose to existence? Is there something more to life?含羞草研究社�
Ayre said truth has a universal hold on people, so if Christians aren含羞草研究社檛 making the claim that what they believe is the truth, that含羞草研究社檚 a failing of the churches. However, he added that they can only propose, never impose.
含羞草研究社淚f the 含羞草研究社榬eligious question含羞草研究社� is really a public question, if religion is really a universal human phenomenon 含羞草研究社� then it is also the fault of culture and society to refuse to take these questions seriously,含羞草研究社� he said.
He thinks the decreased rate of people who are religious has brought with it some decrease in 含羞草研究社渕oral reason or moral truth.含羞草研究社� If human beings are soulless products of chance, the priest said, then they lose worth.
含羞草研究社淚f humanity has no value, then living itself becomes meaningless. So why should I treat others well? At best, we do it because it is politically or socially expedient, but even that crumbles over time,含羞草研究社� Ayre said.
Bushfield argued that cultures develop in different ways, and in places where traditional religions aren含羞草研究社檛 for most people, residents look elsewhere for their morality and their sense of community. He noted that in B.C., environmental groups are 含羞草研究社渇oundational含羞草研究社� and the province also the home of important civil liberties and human rights work.
含羞草研究社淲e can easily see that people can be good without God in British Columbia. Lots of people care deeply about the state of the world含羞草研究社卟菅芯可鐫 he said. 含羞草研究社淭here is a deep commitment that含羞草研究社檚 not necessarily tied to religion but is tied to creating a better world.含羞草研究社�
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