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Cardus, in collaboration with the Angus Reid Institute, conducted a survey in February 2024 to find out what Canadians who identify as Evangelical, Catholic, and mainline Protestant believe.

What do Canadian Christians believe about their faith? Little published research is available on the beliefs that Canadian Christians hold, their views on Christian practices and moral teachings, and how they live out their faith publicly. To explore these questions, in February 2024 Cardus conducted a survey in partnership with the Angus Reid Institute and with support from the Canadian Bible Society.

This study drew inspiration from similar studies undertaken in the United States, notably Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research’s “State of Theology” survey and the Pew Research Center’s “U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey.”

The present survey has two parts. The questions asked in the first part enabled each respondent to be placed into one of the four positions on the Spectrum of Spirituality, which is a measure of religiosity developed in previous research by Cardus and the Angus Reid Institute (see more on the Spectrum, below). The second set of questions enabled respondents’ beliefs to be compared and contrasted with beliefs that have historically been affirmed within Christianity and that continue to be officially endorsed by some Christian churches.

The title of this report, “Still Christian(?),” is meant to be taken in two ways. On the one hand, this study reveals that many Canadians who identify as Christian do not hold the beliefs that Christians have historically affirmed or that their particular church continues to affirm.

For this reason, the title contains a question mark: Is it accurate to say that these Canadians are still Christian, even if their beliefs are at odds with what their church tradition teaches? On the other hand, this study reveals that despite the incoherence or disharmony between what these respondents believe and what their church tradition teaches, they consider themselves connected to the faith, and in this sense they are “still Christian.”

When asked in the survey, “Which of the following best describes your religion,” they selected a Christian option from the set of options presented, rather than selecting some other religion or “No religious identity.” This fact is significant in itself.

Key findings

• “Religiously Committed” Christians do not necessarily adhere to core Christian beliefs or teachings.
• Younger Christians appear to be more intentional or committed to the teachings and practices of the faith than Christians of their parents’ or grandparents’ generations.
• Regardless of which branch of the faith Christians identify with, there is some degree of incoherence between what Christians personally believe and what their church teaches.
• When asked whether “There is one true God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” 89 percent of Evangelicals agreed, 51 percent of Catholics agreed, and 57 percent of mainline Protestants agreed.
• When asked whether all religions are equally true, 20 percent of Evangelicals agreed, compared to 54 percent of Catholics and 57 percent of mainline Protestants.
• Belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ as an historical event is held by 81 percent of Evangelicals, 48 percent of Catholics, and 55 percent of mainline Protestants.
• Sixty-five percent of Evangelicals disagreed that “Christian moral teachings should evolve with changes in society’s attitudes,” whereas 72 percent of Catholics and 61 percent of mainline Protestants agreed.
• Sixty percent of Evangelicals disagreed that “government, and not the church, is responsible for taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the refugees,” while 67 percent of Catholics and 54 percent of mainline Protestants agreed.

The survey is extensive but provides in depth and often surprising responses from the participant. It is copywrite protected which we respect but you can download the full survey and its results by clicking HERE.

 The Survey Questions

1. Do you believe:
   1. That God or a higher power exists
   2. In life after death
      Yes, I definitely do believe
      Yes, I think so
      No, I don’t think so
      No, I definitely do not believe
2. [If indicated “No, I don’t think so” or “No, I definitely do not believe” at Q1] How would you describe yourself when it comes to the whole area of personal faith or spirituality? Would you say:
   
   You do not have any feelings of faith or spirituality
   Have some/at some times
   
   You do have feelings of faith or spirituality in your life
3. How often, if at all, do you:
   1. Pray to God or some higher power
   2. Attend religious services (other than weddings or funerals)
   3. Feel you experience God’s presence
   4. Read the Bible or other sacred text
      Never
      Only rarely
      A few times a year
      Once or twice a month
      Once a week or so
      A few times a week
      Every day
4. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with this statement:
   1. It’s important for parents to teach their children religious beliefs.
      Strongly agree
      Moderately agree
      Moderately disagree
      Strongly disagree
5. Which one of the following best describes your religion?
   1. Roman Catholic
   2. Mainline Protestant (e.g., Anglican, United, Lutheran, Presbyterian)
   3. Evangelical Christian (e.g., Baptist, Pentecostal, Salvation Army)
   4. Orthodox Christian (e.g., Russian, Greek, Ethiopian, Coptic)
   5. Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
   6. Jehovah’s Witnesses
   7.  Muslim
   8.  Hindu
   9.  Jewish
   10.  Sikh
   11.  Buddhist
   12. No religious identity
   13. Other (Specify:) _____________
6. [If Mainline or Evangelical Protestant in Q4] Which of the following best represents your denomination? (Please specify if yours is not on our alphabetical list.)
   1. Adventist
   2. Anglican
   3. Associated Gospel Churches
   4. Baptist Church of the Nazarene
   5. Christian & Missionary Alliance (CMA)
   6. Evangelical Free Church
   7. Free Methodist
   8. Lutheran (ELCIC, LCC, etc.)
   9. Mennonite
   10. Pentecostal
   11. Plymouth Brethren
   12. Presbyterian (incl. PCC, PCA)
   13. Reformed (incl. CRC, CRNA, Free, United, Canadian)
   14. Salvation Army
   15. United Church
   16. Wesleyan
   17. Non-Denominational
   18. Don’t Know / Other (Specify:) __________________
7. [If “No religious identity” in Q4] Would you say you are:
   1. Agnostic
   2. Atheist
   3. Spiritual but not religious
   4. Nothing in particular
   5. Something else
8. And which religious tradition, if any, were you raised in?
   1. Roman Catholic
   2. Mainline Protestant (e.g., Anglican, United, Lutheran, Presbyterian)
   3. Evangelical Christian (e.g., Baptist, Pentecostal, Salvation Army)
   4. Orthodox Christian (e.g., Russian, Greek, Ethiopian, Coptic)
   5. Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
   6. Jehovah’s Witnesses
   7. Muslim
   8. Hindu
   9. Jewish
   10. Sikh
   11. Buddhist
   12. None / Not raised in a religious tradition
   13. Other (Specify:) _____________
9. Next, we are interested in your thoughts on a series of statements about religious beliefs. Please indicate if you agree or disagree with the following statements.
   Strongly agree
   Somewhat agree
   Somewhat disagree
   Strongly disagree
   Not sure / Prefer not to answer
   1. God is all-powerful and all-knowing and cannot make a mistake.
   2. There is one true God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
   3. All religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, are equally true.
   4. Christian moral teachings should evolve with changes in society’s attitudes.
   5. Jesus had many roles, such as a teacher and prophet, but he was not God.
   6. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an historical event that actually occurred in the 1st century.
   7. God created human beings as male and female.
   8. The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.
   9. After death, people are judged by God and either go to heaven or hell.
   10. The Virgin Mary was born without original sin so that she could bear Jesus Christ.
   11. The bread and wine in the Eucharist / Holy Communion / Lord’s Supper only symbolizes the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
   12. After death people are judged by God and either go to heaven or hell.
   13. The Bible is my main source for knowledge about God and what Christianity teaches.
   14. In the past six months, I have actively helped those in need, such as the sick, the poor, those in prison, the marginalized.
   15. Government, not the church, is responsible for taking care of the poor, the homeless, and the refugee.
   16. Sex outside of traditional marriage is acceptable when two people love and are committed to one another.
   17. Abortion is the killing of an unborn human being.
   18. Regular personal prayer, reading of the Bible, praying the Rosary, or other personal devotion is an essential part of my Christian life.
   19. I don’t have to go to church in order to be a faithful Christian.
   20. It is essential for me as a Christian to encourage others to embrace the truth of Jesus Christ.