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 Canada91裸聊视频檚 least religious province 91裸聊视频� 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.
Canada91裸聊视频檚 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 Canada91裸聊视频檚 top 10 is Abbotsford-Mission at 37 per cent.
Outside of census metropolitan areas, Canada91裸聊视频檚 most non-religious community is Squamish at 70.1 per cent.
Father Harrison Ayre of St. Peter91裸聊视频檚 Roman Catholic Church in Nanaimo said when considering the data, the terms 91裸聊视频榓ffiliation91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频榬eligion91裸聊视频� can be problematic. Someone is Catholic by virtue of their baptism, for example, but someone who attests to being Catholic 91裸聊视频� or any religion for that matter 91裸聊视频� might not necessarily be 91裸聊视频渁ttempting to live what they believe,91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淲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,91裸聊视频� he said.
A StatsCan study from last year found that 18 per cent of Canadians say they have a religious affiliation but don91裸聊视频檛 participate in religious or spiritual activities and consider their religious or spiritual beliefs 91裸聊视频渢o be of little or no importance to how they live their lives.91裸聊视频�
Bushfield said it91裸聊视频檚 important to have the best available data because of 91裸聊视频済overnment entanglement with religion91裸聊视频� with funding for religious private schools, health-care facilities and homeless shelters, for example.
91裸聊视频淭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,91裸聊视频� he said.
Bushfield said British Columbia surpassing the 50-per cent non-religious threshold is 91裸聊视频渧ery symbolic91裸聊视频� and worthy of attention, but stressed that the majority shouldn91裸聊视频檛 necessarily direct government policy because even small minority beliefs should have their place.
91裸聊视频淲e should be taking a secular approach because it91裸聊视频檚 the best way to make sure we91裸聊视频檙e reflecting a neutrality that makes space for everyone and doesn91裸聊视频檛 privilege one viewpoint over another,91裸聊视频� he said.
Morality and meaning found in churches and secular society
If Nanaimo is Canada91裸聊视频檚 most non-religious metro area, it isn91裸聊视频檛 evident in the pews at St. Peter91裸聊视频檚, where there is a sort of 91裸聊视频渃ounter trend91裸聊视频� to the census data91裸聊视频檚 trajectory. Ayre said church attendance is at pre-pandemic levels and there is 91裸聊视频渁 spectrum of ages and cultures91裸聊视频� that he attributes in part to Vancouver Island University attracting young adults from around the world.
Broadly, there has 91裸聊视频渙bviously91裸聊视频� been a decline in church participation over the years that has been discussed and studied by church leaders at various levels.
91裸聊视频淧eople think it is a pragmatic question and thus deal with it in a pragmatic way 91裸聊视频� rather, it is the question of culture and human nature,91裸聊视频� Ayre said.
He suggested the 91裸聊视频渟ecular culture91裸聊视频� is itself a sort of religion, as 91裸聊视频渢here is no such thing as a culture that doesn91裸聊视频檛 attempt to answer the questions of human existence91裸聊视频� such as 91裸聊视频渨hy am I here? Who am I? Is there a purpose to existence? Is there something more to life?91裸聊视频�
Ayre said truth has a universal hold on people, so if Christians aren91裸聊视频檛 making the claim that what they believe is the truth, that91裸聊视频檚 a failing of the churches. However, he added that they can only propose, never impose.
91裸聊视频淚f the 91裸聊视频榬eligious question91裸聊视频� is really a public question, if religion is really a universal human phenomenon 91裸聊视频� then it is also the fault of culture and society to refuse to take these questions seriously,91裸聊视频� he said.
He thinks the decreased rate of people who are religious has brought with it some decrease in 91裸聊视频渕oral reason or moral truth.91裸聊视频� If human beings are soulless products of chance, the priest said, then they lose worth.
91裸聊视频淚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,91裸聊视频� Ayre said.
Bushfield argued that cultures develop in different ways, and in places where traditional religions aren91裸聊视频檛 for most people, residents look elsewhere for their morality and their sense of community. He noted that in B.C., environmental groups are 91裸聊视频渇oundational91裸聊视频� and the province also the home of important civil liberties and human rights work.
91裸聊视频淲e can easily see that people can be good without God in British Columbia. Lots of people care deeply about the state of the world91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭here is a deep commitment that91裸聊视频檚 not necessarily tied to religion but is tied to creating a better world.91裸聊视频�
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