Religion and the Canadian Voter

[normanchateau]

Approximately half of the MPs in CPC are religious conservatives. Unfortunately for CPC, most Canadians are not religious conservatives nor even attach much importance to religion. The Pew Research Center conducted a world-wide survey of nations and calculated the percentage of the population who considered religion important. Here are the results:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_impo.htm

The numbers suggest that religion is important in many (but not all) poor countries with one exception, the US. Canadians, like most Europens, attached little importance to religion.

Here are some percentages from the link:

Indonesia 95%

Nigeria 92%

Pakistan 91%

Bangladesh 88%

Uganda 85%

Honduras 72%

Turkey 65%

Venezuela 61%

US 59%

Great Britain 35%

Canada 30%

Italy 27%

Germany 21%

Japan 12%

France 11%

The 30% figure for Canada is interesting in that it approximates the percentage of the population who are CPC supporters. Coincidence?

[Kiraly]

Harper should run in Indonesia...

...I mean he would like totally win.

[August1991]

IMV, what is far more significant about Canadian voters (and Canadian politics) is that we are a predominantly Roman Catholic country. All of our federal PMs since Trudeau have been Catholic (Clark, Turner, Martin, Chretien, Mulroney, Trudeau) excepting Campbell. (See link for history.) More pertinently, Roman Catholics are the largest denomination in Canada - representing about 50% of the population (whether practicing or not).

To compare, only one US president has been Catholic (all the others were Protestant) and Catholics represent about 20% of the US population.

In many ways, Canadians vote like American Catholics. One reason for this is that North American Catholics have been traditionally of French-Canadian, Scottish and Irish origin. In these cases, their Catholicism was connnected to their sense of second-class status.

Canada's Left is clearly a practical mix of this underdog Catholicism and then a form of Protestant puritanism - incarned, for example, by people like Tommy Douglas.

[justcrowing]

http://www.opinion-canada.ca/en/articles/article_101.html

Sixty-one percent of Canadians believe that religious practice is an important factor in the moral and ethical lives of Canadians while 36% say it is not, according to a poll conducted by the Centre for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC).

This is a significant change since April 1980, when this question was asked in an Environics Focus Canada poll. Then, 79% of Canadians said that religious practice was an important factor in the moral and ethical lives of Canadians, while 20% felt it was not.

Regionally, the current CRIC survey revealed that Atlantic Canadians (76%) were most likely to think that religion was an important factor in the moral and ethical life of Canadians today. At the other end of the spectrum, Quebecers (44%) were much less likely than other Canadians to say it was important.

The current survey also found that Atlantic Canadians were again notably more likely than other Canadians to report that religion was an important part of their lives (80%). British Columbians and Quebecers were the least likely to recognize its importance (58% and 59% respectively).

Age was also a determining factor on this issue. Fifty-two percent of those aged 18-29 said that religion was an important part of their lives. This figure rose to 64% for Canadians aged 30-44, and to 68% among those aged 45-59. The figure reached 76% for Canadians over 60.

When asked about teaching religion in schools, a majority (56%) felt that public schools should teach children about all the major religions of the world.

Sixty-eight percent of Atlantic Canadians took this view. Support for it was lowest in OntarioManitoba where only 5041% think that public schools should teach children about all the major religions of the world.

Nationally, 31% of Canadians took the view that public schools should not teach children about any religion at all. In Ontario, 38% – the highest percentage of Canadians in any region – shared this belief. Support for this option was lowest in Atlantic Canada (20%).

Only 11% of Canadians said public schools should teach children only about the Christian religion because it is the faith espoused by the majority in the country. Support for this view was highest in Quebec (19%) and lowest in British Columbia (6%).

The telephone survey of 1,500 adult Canadians was carried out by Environics Research Group between June 16 and 21, 2004. Surveys of this size have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.

[normanchateau]

Harper should run in Indonesia...

...I mean he would like totally win.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He'd do well in the US as well.

[justcrowing]

Harper should run in Indonesia...

...I mean he would like totally win.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He'd do well in the US as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He'll do well in Canada.

[normanchateau]

Age was also a determining factor on this issue. Fifty-two percent of those aged 18-29 said that religion was an important part of their lives. This figure rose to 64% for Canadians aged 30-44, and to 68% among those aged 45-59. The figure reached 76% for Canadians over 60. 

Yup, the closer to death, the more religious they are. Good news for Harper. More old people vote.

[normanchateau]

He'll do well in Canada. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Might even get 30%

[justcrowing]

He'll do well in Canada. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Might even get 30%

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Obviously you have not read Post #4 - those were Canadian stats about Canadians.

[normanchateau]

He'll do well in Canada. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Might even get 30%

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Obviously you have not read Post #4 - those were Canadian stats about Canadians.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And the Pew Research Centre also collected stats about Canadians.

[justcrowing]

He'll do well in Canada. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Might even get 30%

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Obviously you have not read Post #4 - those were Canadian stats about Canadians.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And the Pew Research Centre also collected stats about Canadians.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which proves nothing.

[Canuck E Stan]

Unfortunately for CPC, most Canadians are not religious conservatives nor even attach much importance to religion.

Age was also a determining factor on this issue. Fifty-two percent of those aged 18-29 said that religion was an important part of their lives. This figure rose to 64% for Canadians aged 30-44, and to 68% among those aged 45-59. The figure reached 76% for Canadians over 60.

Normie,

On trying to make some kind of stupid insinuation with this topic you're dying by the minute.

[tml12]

Unfortunately for CPC, most Canadians are not religious conservatives nor even attach much importance to religion.

Age was also a determining factor on this issue. Fifty-two percent of those aged 18-29 said that religion was an important part of their lives. This figure rose to 64% for Canadians aged 30-44, and to 68% among those aged 45-59. The figure reached 76% for Canadians over 60.

Normie,

On trying to make some kind of stupid insinuation with this topic you're dying by the minute.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed,

I think this has become a silly attempt to discredit the CPC...

[justcrowing]

Unfortunately for CPC, most Canadians are not religious conservatives nor even attach much importance to religion.

Age was also a determining factor on this issue. Fifty-two percent of those aged 18-29 said that religion was an important part of their lives. This figure rose to 64% for Canadians aged 30-44, and to 68% among those aged 45-59. The figure reached 76% for Canadians over 60.

Normie,

On trying to make some kind of stupid insinuation with this topic you're dying by the minute.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Normie chooses the negative side of things - should have checked to see how old his article in that link was. Nah, can't be bothered, not worth it.

[normanchateau]

Normie chooses the negative side of things -  should have checked to see how old his article in that link was.  Nah, can't be bothered, not worth it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Depends on whether you view attaching importance in your personal life to religion as being positive or negative. I suspect only those who do would view my comments as negative.

The link was to a December, 2002 survey.

[politika]

Unfortunately for CPC, most Canadians are not religious conservatives nor even attach much importance to religion.

Age was also a determining factor on this issue. Fifty-two percent of those aged 18-29 said that religion was an important part of their lives. This figure rose to 64% for Canadians aged 30-44, and to 68% among those aged 45-59. The figure reached 76% for Canadians over 60.

Normie,

On trying to make some kind of stupid insinuation with this topic you're dying by the minute.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed,

I think this has become a silly attempt to discredit the CPC...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree as well, its his way of spreading hate towards religion adn at the same time bash the Conservatives. This guys a troll.

[normanchateau]

I agree as well, its his way of spreading hate towards religion adn at the same time bash the Conservatives.  This guys a troll.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only if the moderator's definition of a troll is someone who is not a CPC supporter.

Greg seems objective to me.

[politika]

I agree as well, its his way of spreading hate towards religion adn at the same time bash the Conservatives.  This guys a troll.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only if the moderator's definition of a troll is someone who is not a CPC supporter.

Greg seems objective to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well if thast true I guess I am on his good side than

But,

yikes those are mighty strong acusations to say to somone that in one click can ban you from this forum.

Hey guys the real side of Normi has come out, anyways I am told not to feed the trolls so anything crude you post from now on a can not reply to you on.

[normanchateau]

But,

yikes  those are mighty strong acusations to say to somone that in one click can ban you from this forum. 

Yes, and I won't back down from accusing him of being utterly and blatantly objective even if it means he'll ban me.

[August1991]

IMV, what is far more significant about Canadian voters (and Canadian politics) is that we are a predominantly Roman Catholic country. All of our federal PMs since Trudeau have been Catholic (Clark, Turner, Martin, Chretien, Mulroney, Trudeau) excepting Campbell. (See link for history.) More pertinently, Roman Catholics are the largest denomination in Canada - representing about 50% of the population (whether practicing or not).

To compare, only one US president has been Catholic (all the others were Protestant) and Catholics represent about 20% of the US population.

In many ways, Canadians vote like American Catholics. One reason for this is that North American Catholics have been traditionally of French-Canadian, Scottish and Irish origin. In these cases, their Catholicism was connnected to their sense of second-class status.

Canada's Left is clearly a practical mix of this underdog Catholicism and then a form of Protestant puritanism - incarned, for example, by people like Tommy Douglas.

Can I reply to myself?

Some left-wing English Canadians try to imitate American politics and bring religion into our political debates through morality and ethics. In fact, religion enters Canadian politics in an entirely different way and the two countries have different religious compositions. I'm surprised that English-Canadian nationalists, so obsessed with demarking themselves from Americans, have not noticed this.

As I note above, 50% of Canadians are practicing/nominally Catholic whereas only 20% of Americans are similarly Catholic. While the US has had only one US Catholic president, most of our PMs have been Catholic. Moreover, Canada's most successful PM (King) was Presbyterian whereas I don't think any US president was Presbyterian. (Am I wrong?)

The religious experience of the US and English Canada are very different - Irish, Scottish and even English Catholics predominated among early English-speaking immigrants to Canada. Even today, in Canada, Protestants are in a minority and Protestants are further split among various sects. The sense of morality and "social conservatism" are similarly different.

In the past, IMV, Canada suffered from the "Irish problem" of a small Protestant minority feeling superior to a Catholic majority. (Lebanon and Iraq suffered from a similar problem.) IME, Irish Protestants are a pernicious, self-serving lot. They are like Sunni Iraqis or Maronite Christians. Canada fortunately overcame this problem peacefully. Since Laurier, most of our PMs have been Catholic and even our police forces are not solely Irish Protestant.

For better or worse, Canada, English and French, is a largely Roman Catholic country. This is reflected in our choice of PM for the past 50 years or so. We are a civilized, and civilizing people. Immigrants to our society become civilized too. Canada makes all people polite, and tolerant.

Edited September 15, 2008 by August1991

[blueblood]

Religion not important to Canada???

Ever been to Quebec and the Prairies...

Want a majority, be nice to religion.

Praise Jesus!!!

[scribblet]

Praise Jesus!!!

And pass the ammunition !

[M.Dancer]

Approximately half of the MPs in CPC are religious conservatives.

Cite?