Mainstream Religiosity Falls While Minority Religions Flourish

Posted on by

Mainstream Religiosity Falls While Minority Religions Flourish

Just 68% of Canadians aged 15 or older currently report having a religious affiliation. This marks the first time that number has dropped below 70% since StatCan started tracking religiosity in 1985. However, minority religions are flourishing, including Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism.

The Drop in Christian Religiosity

COVID-19 is one reason the number of religious Christians has decreased. Many have left the church due to restrictions on public gatherings. Others cite the inability to take communion, because they would normally share one chalice of wine or grape juice, representing the blood of Christ. Even with vaccination records being shown, people just aren’t willing to take the risk of sharing a chalice with others. 

The drop in Christian beliefs is huge. In 2011, about 67% of Canadians said they belonged to a Christian religion. In 2019, that percentage had dropped to about 63%. Canada’s largest denomination, Catholicism, currently makes up 32% of Canadians aged 15 and above. In 1996, it was nearly 47%.

Membership in the United Church of Canada, the second-largest Christian denomination, has dropped even more. It had been on the decline since 1985, when it made up 14.6% of Christians in Canada. In 1996, that percentage decreased to 9.7%. 

As of 2019, just 3.8% of Canadian Christians belong to the United Church of Canada. Compare that to Islam, a minority religion, which makes up 3.7% of the Canadian population. 

The Anglicans have also seen numbers decline. Data from StatCan shows that in 1986, 10.4% of all Canadians were Anglican. That number slipped to 7% in 1996, then to 3.8% in 2019. 

Falling Numbers in Judaism

Judaism faces its own challenges when it comes to retaining and growing its membership in synagogues. One reason is that Shabbat, the Jewish holy day, runs from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. That’s when a majority of kids’ sporting events happen. Families have to choose between their children’s extracurricular activities and religious events. It may not be an easy decision, but many Jewish families are opting in favor of their kids. 

Since 1985, StatCan has reported a steady decline in the number of Jews in Canada. In 1985, 1.6% of Canadians were Jewish. That fell to 1.1% in 1996, then to 0.8% in 2019. This makes holding services difficult. If there isn’t a minyan, or 10 people in attendance, certain prayers aren’t able to be recited. 

This is especially difficult for those who have lost a loved one. If a minyan is not present, the Kaddish prayer of mourning — which is to be recited daily for seven days after the death — can’t be recited. Some rabbis have approved an online minyan. Others have commanded that mourners perform a mitzvah — one of the 613 Jewish laws — instead of saying Kaddish. There are also alternate prayers that may be recited in place of Kaddish. 

The Growth of Minority Religions

StatCan predicts that the number of people practicing minority religions will double by 2036. Sikhism currently makes up 1.4% of Canada’s population, fueled in large part by immigration. In 2001, Sikhs comprised just 0.9% of Canadians. The World Sikh Organization of Canada says there are more than half a million Sikhs currently living in Canada. 

Immigration isn’t just fueling the growth of the Sikh community. Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are all seeing growth from immigrants. New immigrants want to find something familiar, so they seek out the religious communities they left back home for a sense of belonging. 

Islam, for example, is currently the largest non-Christian religious group, and the fastest-growing faith in Canada. StatCan reports that 3.7% of Canadians are Muslim, up from 1.5% in 2001 and 1.1% in 1996.

It’s important to understand the changing face of religion in Canada. While majority religions decline, minority faiths flourish. To help create an inclusive environment, take some time to understand the current makeup of the religious communities in Canada.

Mainstream Religiosity Falls While Minority Religions Flourish

Just 68% of Canadians aged 15 or older currently report having a religious affiliation. This marks the first time that number has dropped below 70% since StatCan started tracking religiosity in 1985. However, minority religions are flourishing, including Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism.

The Drop in Christian Religiosity

COVID-19 is one reason the number of religious Christians has decreased. Many have left the church due to restrictions on public gatherings. Others cite the inability to take communion, because they would normally share one chalice of wine or grape juice, representing the blood of Christ. Even with vaccination records being shown, people just aren’t willing to take the risk of sharing a chalice with others. 

The drop in Christian beliefs is huge. In 2011, about 67% of Canadians said they belonged to a Christian religion. In 2019, that percentage had dropped to about 63%. Canada’s largest denomination, Catholicism, currently makes up 32% of Canadians aged 15 and above. In 1996, it was nearly 47%.

Membership in the United Church of Canada, the second-largest Christian denomination, has dropped even more. It had been on the decline since 1985, when it made up 14.6% of Christians in Canada. In 1996, that percentage decreased to 9.7%. 

As of 2019, just 3.8% of Canadian Christians belong to the United Church of Canada. Compare that to Islam, a minority religion, which makes up 3.7% of the Canadian population. 

The Anglicans have also seen numbers decline. Data from StatCan shows that in 1986, 10.4% of all Canadians were Anglican. That number slipped to 7% in 1996, then to 3.8% in 2019. 

Falling Numbers in Judaism

Judaism faces its own challenges when it comes to retaining and growing its membership in synagogues. One reason is that Shabbat, the Jewish holy day, runs from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. That’s when a majority of kids’ sporting events happen. Families have to choose between their children’s extracurricular activities and religious events. It may not be an easy decision, but many Jewish families are opting in favor of their kids. 

Since 1985, StatCan has reported a steady decline in the number of Jews in Canada. In 1985, 1.6% of Canadians were Jewish. That fell to 1.1% in 1996, then to 0.8% in 2019. This makes holding services difficult. If there isn’t a minyan, or 10 people in attendance, certain prayers aren’t able to be recited. 

This is especially difficult for those who have lost a loved one. If a minyan is not present, the Kaddish prayer of mourning — which is to be recited daily for seven days after the death — can’t be recited. Some rabbis have approved an online minyan. Others have commanded that mourners perform a mitzvah — one of the 613 Jewish laws — instead of saying Kaddish. There are also alternate prayers that may be recited in place of Kaddish. 

The Growth of Minority Religions

StatCan predicts that the number of people practicing minority religions will double by 2036. Sikhism currently makes up 1.4% of Canada’s population, fueled in large part by immigration. In 2001, Sikhs comprised just 0.9% of Canadians. The World Sikh Organization of Canada says there are more than half a million Sikhs currently living in Canada. 

Immigration isn’t just fueling the growth of the Sikh community. Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are all seeing growth from immigrants. New immigrants want to find something familiar, so they seek out the religious communities they left back home for a sense of belonging. 

Islam, for example, is currently the largest non-Christian religious group, and the fastest-growing faith in Canada. StatCan reports that 3.7% of Canadians are Muslim, up from 1.5% in 2001 and 1.1% in 1996.

It’s important to understand the changing face of religion in Canada. While majority religions decline, minority faiths flourish. To help create an inclusive environment, take some time to understand the current makeup of the religious communities in Canada.

Comments are closed.

Comments are closed.