Are the Evangelicals done for?


A review of Religious Commitment in Canada  (October 2024)


Sub-subtitle: Revenge of the Evangelicals



The preceding article seemed to beat up on the Evangelicals quite badly.  It can be boiled down to the simple sentiment: “if everyone thinks you are doing it wrong, you probably are doing it wrong.”  Of course, human history is filled with brave souls who stood up against authority, only to be proven right in the end.  Think Galileo, Martin Luther, Mahatma Gandhi.


I will start this analysis with a very loaded question. Is Evangelical Protestantism the only true religion in Canada?  To answer this, we have to look at a definition for religion.


Merriam-Webster.Com proposes the following: 


We can all read something personal into these, but the words that resound with me are service, commitment, devotion, faith and ardour.  If you are inclined to this mind-set, you could suggest (then duck) that religions which do not embody them are not real, or at least are non-functional.


The preceding article described surveys that were conducted by Angus Reid in 20221.  They asked respondents to identify the religion with which they affiliate (or none).  The religion choices were Roman Catholic, mainstream Protestant, Evangelical Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Judaism.  They asked the respondents to rate their religious commitment according to four categories: non-believers, spiritually uncertain, privately faithful, and religiously committed.  


Evangelical Protestants scored 74% for religiously committed.  Muslims scored 46%.  Every other religion scored in the range of 7% to 22%.  I ask, as I slam and bolt the door: are these others actual functioning religions?


How about Christians who responded as spiritually uncertain?  Evangelical Protestants scored 14%, whereas 52% of Roman Catholics and 56% of mainstream Protestants scored accordingly.  One would have to ask whether a religion that can’t get a simple majority of its adherents to believe there is a God as described by Jesus is, at best, just not doing its job.  By the way, 10% of Roman Catholics and mainstream Protestants say they are non-believers. 


Are there other measures of how committed people are to their religion?  One would be prayer habits.  Whereas 14% of Evangelical Protestants say they never or rarely pray, 46% of Roman Catholics and 53% of mainstream Protestants say the same.  How about attendance?  63% of Evangelical Protestants say they regularly attend services, while 14% of Roman Catholics and 12% of mainstream protestants say the same (defined as once or twice a month or more often). 


So, imagine, you get the phone call or mail-out that asks about your religiousness. If you are Christian, you will say you fall into one of the three Christian groupings.  Then the big question is asked: ‘Do you believe that God or a higher power exists?’  What do you say then?  Well, 28% of Roman Catholics and 27% of mainstream Protestants say they don’t think so or definitely do not believe so.  This compares to 3% for Evangelical Protestants.  


Its now becoming clear that a big part of these discrepancies is due to non-believing, non-committed and non-church-going people, for various unknown reasons, saying they identify with a Christian religion.  I’m sure people who regularly attend Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestant services wouldn’t score so poorly.  Also, poor popular opinion of Evangelical Protestantism would likely dissuade a lot of non-committed people from naming this as their religion.


So, are Evangelical Protestant religions the only true Christian religions in Canada?  I’m not going to venture an opinion and maybe its best you don’t either.


_____________________



1. Angus Reid, Canada across the religious spectrum: A portrait of the nation’s inter-faith perspectives during Holy Week, April 18, 2022, https://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022.04.18_Religious_Spectrum.pdf