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University of Lethbridge survey: God doing reasonably well in the polls

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A majority of Canadians continue to believe in God, according to the most recent national survey by a University of Lethbridge sociologist.

Dr. Reginald Bibby has been charting the God numbers through national surveys from the mid-1970s to right now in fact.

He says God is not faring all that badly in the polls.

“This religious polarization includes individuals who can be described as pro-religious, low religious and no religious,” Dr. Reg Bibby

Bibby notes some 60% of Canadians continue to believe in a higher power with only 15% saying they definitely don’t.

Over the years, these surveys have provided interesting insights about Canadians’ spiritual beliefs.

Belief in God is slightly higher in Saskatchewan and the Atlantic regions. Levels of belief are slightly lower among younger adults and university graduates.

As would be expected, belief in God is considerably higher among the 75% of Canadians who identify with religious groups than it is among the 25% who say they have no religion.

Bibby says the God findings provide a further reminder of the reality of the growing diverse responses to religion in Canada.

His latest latest survey finds that 25% of Canadians are pro-religious, 45% are low religious and about 30% has no religion at all.

“During this time of year when faith has traditionally been on the minds of many, more Canadians than in the past have said goodbye to the gods. But large numbers — in fact the majority — have not,” says Bibby.

Bibby has been monitoring social trends in Canada for the past 45 years and making his findings publicly available. One of his most recent religion books is Resilient Gods: Being Pro-Religious, Low Religious, or No Religious in Canada.

(With files from U of L)

Patrick Siedlecki
Patrick Siedlecki
Pat has been a mainstay in the CJOC News department from the time the station launched in 2007. He's been in the position of News Director since then and has been anchoring daily news casts as well as reporting and working behind the scenes. Community is important to him and keeping CJOC listeners and readers informed about what's happening across southern Alberta and beyond. Pat has been in radio broadcasting for the past 24 years, starting in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in 1997 and then moving up island to Nanaimo for another few years before heading to Lethbridge in 2007. Pat grew up in the small Saskatchewan farming town of Foam Lake. After high school, he went to Western Academy Broadcasting College (WABC) in Saskatoon prior to moving to the island. Pat also spent several years broadcasting hockey in the BCHL as well as seven years as the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL. Pat has been working at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge as a Certified Life Celebrant and Funeral Assistant since 2016. News and sports have always been Pat's passion from the time he was a teenager and he's always been grateful to have had the opportunity to make that part of what's been a fun and long radio career!
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