HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada


View Poll Results: Which Religion are you?
Hindu 4 2.13%
Buddhist 2 1.06%
Christian 58 30.85%
Jewish 2 1.06%
Muslim 2 1.06%
None 114 60.64%
Other 6 3.19%
Voters: 188. You may not vote on this poll

Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #21  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 8:58 PM
Tarsus's Avatar
Tarsus Tarsus is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 2,062
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer View Post
I agree with you, but I doubt that the hijab would ever be in danger - too many other religions have faith-based head wear, including among Christians. Although anything is possible, especially when "the other" becomes the target of the majority.
Just looking at what's happening in France. It makes you wonder. As mentioned, my wife doesn't wear anything, and my daughter won't either, but it still feels like a dangerous slope.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #22  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 8:58 PM
Marty_Mcfly's Avatar
Marty_Mcfly Marty_Mcfly is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: St. John's, NL
Posts: 7,169
I'm Atheist, though I was raised Christian (Catholic father/Anglican mother).

I don't know many people my age who are practicing Christians anymore; it's slowly dying.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #23  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 9:00 PM
kwoldtimer kwoldtimer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: La vraie capitale
Posts: 23,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarsus View Post
Just looking at what's happening in France. It makes you wonder. As mentioned, my wife doesn't wear anything, and my daughter won't either, but it still feels like a dangerous slope.
One must remember never to look at France. Never. Place is a social train wreck.

Edit: If you're looking for how not to do things, then OK, look at France!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #24  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 9:03 PM
Tarsus's Avatar
Tarsus Tarsus is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 2,062
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer View Post
One must remember never to look at France. Never. Place is a social train wreck.
True. you know what I mean though. The majority of people in any country are always moderate, but things can get crazy with a few radicals Muslim or Christian..or Atheist . Just look at Germany and Japan in the 1930's
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #25  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 9:16 PM
topdog topdog is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 371
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly View Post
I'm Atheist, though I was raised Christian (Catholic father/Anglican mother).

I don't know many people my age who are practicing Christians anymore; it's slowly dying.
I don't see any religions keeping a high practicing rate in Canada over the long haul. Muslims may seem hardcore to some of us, but the religion itself isn't, it's the background of where the people come from. Most Muslim countries have been run by dictators or royal families. Democracy is unknown to many of them and the church is the constant pillar of stability. Many live their life by it. here in Canada with the opportunities of a free lifestyle, it will be different.
I work with a lot of Muslims, and from what I can see the only thing keeping the younger generation involved is the parents.

Today's Muslims are the Catholics of my grandparents and parents' generation.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #26  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 9:32 PM
Bcasey25raptor's Avatar
Bcasey25raptor Bcasey25raptor is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Vancouver Suburbs
Posts: 2,624
If you want my honest opinion on religion and where I fit I'll tell you.

I grew up in Kelowna British Columbia which many call part of the bible belt of BC for some reason yet I knew very few religious people.

My mother is kind of a christian but not really, she is basically a social christian who is religious just because her friends are. But she knows nothing about christianity and shes a Liberal live and let live individual none the less.

My grandmother was a deist, not religious by any means but she believed a higher power was probable. MY grandfather is agnostic and does a lot of science reading. All of my siblings are atheists.

So I was raised not knowing anything about christianity. Hell I only really found out what Lent was last year and I couldn't even hope to try and explain the differences between Protestants and catholics.
__________________
River District Big Government progressive
~ Just Watch me
- Pierre Elliot Trudeau
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #27  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 9:43 PM
kwoldtimer kwoldtimer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: La vraie capitale
Posts: 23,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor View Post
If you want my honest opinion on religion and where I fit I'll tell you.

I grew up in Kelowna British Columbia which many call part of the bible belt of BC for some reason yet I knew very few religious people.

My mother is kind of a christian but not really, she is basically a social christian who is religious just because her friends are. But she knows nothing about christianity and shes a Liberal live and let live individual none the less.

My grandmother was a deist, not religious by any means but she believed a higher power was probable. MY grandfather is agnostic and does a lot of science reading. All of my siblings are atheists.

So I was raised not knowing anything about christianity. Hell I only really found out what Lent was last year and I couldn't even hope to try and explain the differences between Protestants and catholics.

That has increasingly become the norm in Canada. I tend to think that children should go to Sunday School, catechism classes, and whatever in order to have a better understanding of the Bible and Christianity as foundations of our society. Actually believing any of it seems secondary/optional to me. In my own family, I've had non-religious relatives tell me that they would leave their childrens' religious choices for the children to decide when they are adults. My response, sometimes successful and sometimes not, was to enquire on what basis their kids could ever take a sensible decision if they had not been exposed to "Christian 101".
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #28  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 9:59 PM
matt602's Avatar
matt602 matt602 is offline
Hammer'd
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hamilton, ON
Posts: 4,751
Kinda a passive athiest/agnostic, I guess. I generally try not to give organized religion much of a thought. Most of my family has never been hardcore into religion and my christening was the last time I was in a church aside from a funeral. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't bother involving religion in my children's lives either unless it was their choice to pursue.
__________________
"Above all, Hamilton must learn to think like a city, not a suburban hybrid where residents drive everywhere. What makes Hamilton interesting is the fact it's a city. The sprawl that surrounds it, which can be found all over North America, is running out of time."
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #29  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 10:17 PM
Gresto's Avatar
Gresto Gresto is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,737
I'm agnostic with an empirically-based atheistic persuasion, but evangelism of any sort is presumptuous and overbearing.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #30  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 10:28 PM
kwoldtimer kwoldtimer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: La vraie capitale
Posts: 23,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gresto View Post
I'm agnostic with an empirically-based atheistic persuasion, but evangelism of any sort is presumptuous and overbearing.
The only thing that bugs me about evangelicals is their call to stand on street corners blathering loudly about whatever damnation we're risking. My Church taught me to "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord" but they seem not to have received the memo!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #31  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 10:58 PM
Gresto's Avatar
Gresto Gresto is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Toronto
Posts: 3,737
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer View Post
The only thing that bugs me about evangelicals is their call to stand on street corners blathering loudly about whatever damnation we're risking. My Church taught me to "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord" but they seem not to have received the memo!
Atheists can be evangelical, too, though I haven't met any.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #32  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 10:59 PM
Procrastinational's Avatar
Procrastinational Procrastinational is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 958
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer View Post
In my own family, I've had non-religious relatives tell me that they would leave their childrens' religious choices for the children to decide when they are adults. My response, sometimes successful and sometimes not, was to enquire on what basis their kids could ever take a sensible decision if they had not been exposed to "Christian 101".
Your logic is a little bit flawed. If you wanted your kids to make a sensible, well thought out decision, you'd have to expose them to all religions. Theology 101.
Unless you think the "sensible" choice is to pick Christianity over the other nonsense.

Exposing kids only to the basics of a single religion is nudging them in that particular direction, at which point the whole notion of them choosing of their own free will goes out the window.
It irritates me when people "know" their religion is the right one, because they "chose" it. The reality is that society and your family nudge you heavily in a particular direction, and your religion depends on the arbitrary circumstances of your birth. If you grew up in Saudi Arabia, chances are you were raised as a Muslim, and so on.

Ensuring children make the "sensible" choice by exposing them to "Christian 101" is just passively indoctrinating them. It's better than forcing it upon them, but not by much. Parents have the right to make many decisions for their children, but choosing what they believe shouldn't be one of them.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #33  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 11:02 PM
manny_santos's Avatar
manny_santos manny_santos is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: New Westminster
Posts: 5,002
Quote:
Originally Posted by hipster duck View Post
I grew up in Central Ontario and know the rural areas quite well. I wouldn't say that any place is deeply religious. Yes, there are deeply religious people and many of them belong to the emerging Evangelical churches that kwoldtimer mentions. Still, I don't see religion playing a major role in these communities as a whole. It certainly doesn't affect political decisions at any level of government the way it does in large parts of the US.

This is just a guess, but I would say that in rural Peterborough and Victoria counties (now Kawartha Lakes), maybe 10-15% of the people could be said to be deeply religious. I think this number is probably similar, and maybe even smaller, to the number of professed atheists.
I never really associated Central Ontario with being particularly religious. The hardcore religious people I've known throughout my life come from rural Chatham-Kent and the rural areas surrounding London, as well as rural areas outside Ottawa. Rural Chatham-Kent is known as Ontario's Bible Belt, and rural Eastern Ontario is heavily influenced by Irish, Polish, and French Canadian Catholics.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #34  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 11:12 PM
kwoldtimer kwoldtimer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: La vraie capitale
Posts: 23,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gresto View Post
Atheists can be evangelical, too, though I haven't met any.
Indeed, anyone who tries to foist their belief system on others who are not interested in receiving the message, or disparages the belief system of others as opposed to their "true faith", is an obnoxious twat in my book. I've seen examples in the workplace but suspected the issue was less one of religion and more one of mental stability (and invariably a conversion).
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #35  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 11:17 PM
kwoldtimer kwoldtimer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: La vraie capitale
Posts: 23,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by Procrastinational View Post
Your logic is a little bit flawed. If you wanted your kids to make a sensible, well thought out decision, you'd have to expose them to all religions. Theology 101.
Unless you think the "sensible" choice is to pick Christianity over the other nonsense.

Exposing kids only to the basics of a single religion is nudging them in that particular direction, at which point the whole notion of them choosing of their own free will goes out the window.
It irritates me when people "know" their religion is the right one, because they "chose" it. The reality is that society and your family nudge you heavily in a particular direction, and your religion depends on the arbitrary circumstances of your birth. If you grew up in Saudi Arabia, chances are you were raised as a Muslim, and so on.

Ensuring children make the "sensible" choice by exposing them to "Christian 101" is just passively indoctrinating them. It's better than forcing it upon them, but not by much. Parents have the right to make many decisions for their children, but choosing what they believe shouldn't be one of them.

Well, I was going to say that a decent "World Religions" program in the schools might be a good substitute but my point was not about guiding children toward Christianity (although if one is culturally Christian, it is not illogical) but rather to instill an understanding of the Bible, in particular, and the basics of Christianity. Without those, I really believe that a person will have significant gaps in their understanding of the Western world. To me, it's as much if not more about culture than is about religious faith.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #36  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 11:20 PM
manny_santos's Avatar
manny_santos manny_santos is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: New Westminster
Posts: 5,002
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer View Post
The Evangelicals seem to be growing particularly well down this way, judging by the large new churches that have been going up in the periphery of K-C-W. And they seem to hold particular appeal for young, suburban families, as opposed to the declining ranks of the elderly found in most mainstream Protestant congregations.
They have no choice if they're going to survive. Traditional Protestant churches have been in serious decline in Canada in recent years, far more than the Catholic church from what I've read.

Quote:
Originally Posted by topdog View Post
I don't see any religions keeping a high practicing rate in Canada over the long haul. Muslims may seem hardcore to some of us, but the religion itself isn't, it's the background of where the people come from. Most Muslim countries have been run by dictators or royal families. Democracy is unknown to many of them and the church is the constant pillar of stability. Many live their life by it. here in Canada with the opportunities of a free lifestyle, it will be different.
I work with a lot of Muslims, and from what I can see the only thing keeping the younger generation involved is the parents.

Today's Muslims are the Catholics of my grandparents and parents' generation.
I can't speak for Islam, but the problem I see with the Catholic church is that it has turned very hard to the right in recent years in Canada and has alienated way too many people who agree with the message of Jesus Christ. I was out of Canada for awhile and moved to Eastern Ontario, and I saw what the future (young people) of the church were. They were obsessed with the technicalities of rules such as avoiding meat on Fridays, promoting elitism and exclusion of those who weren't quite the same as them, promoting the return of Latin to the Mass, and even praying for the abolition of Ottawa's Gay Pride Parade, while avoiding real issues that I think Pope Francis would rather they focus on. Some are also active in opposing Ontario's new sex-ed curriculum. Some liked to draw attention to themselves by making a gaudy spectacle out of receiving Communion during Mass, instead of just receiving it gracefully. It was almost unbearable for a liberal Catholic like myself.

I finally lost it on the homophobe who tried to get me involved in opposing the Ottawa's gay pride parade, and sadly this is what the future of a limited Catholic Church in Canada very well may be - divide and conquer, and alienate the masses. More liberal Catholics like myself don't want to be associated with that part of the church, though fortunately there is a contingent of young Catholics in Toronto who give out food to the homeless. That's something I can get behind.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #37  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 11:22 PM
Procrastinational's Avatar
Procrastinational Procrastinational is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 958
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer View Post
Well, I was going to say that a decent "World Religions" program in the schools might be a good substitute but my point was not about guiding children toward Christianity (although if one is culturally Christian, I see no harm in that) but rather to instill an understanding of the Bible, in particular, and the basics of Christianity. Without those, I really believe that a person will have significant gaps in their understanding of the Western world.
I don't necessarily disagree with what you are saying. It's certainly beneficial to have at least read the Bible. There many references to Christianity within Western culture, and you could argue that without that knowledge you are missing out.

Where I do disagree is having it as part of school curriculum. Schools, as with all public institutions, should be secular. If people want to learn about it, they can choose to do so as adults. There are plenty of religious studies courses available in universities.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #38  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2015, 11:23 PM
kwoldtimer kwoldtimer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: La vraie capitale
Posts: 23,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by manny_santos View Post
They have no choice if they're going to survive. Traditional Protestant churches have been in serious decline in Canada in recent years, far more than the Catholic church from what I've read.



I can't speak for Islam, but the problem I see with the Catholic church is that it has turned very hard to the right in recent years in Canada and has alienated way too many people who agree with the message of Jesus Christ. I was out of Canada for awhile and moved to Eastern Ontario, and I saw what the future (young people) of the church were. They were obsessed with the technicalities of rules such as avoiding meat on Fridays, promoting elitism and exclusion of those who weren't quite the same as them, promoting the return of Latin to the Mass, and even praying for the abolition of Ottawa's Gay Pride Parade, while avoiding real issues that I think Pope Francis would rather they focus on. Some are also active in opposing Ontario's new sex-ed curriculum. Some liked to draw attention to themselves by making a gaudy spectacle out of receiving Communion during Mass, instead of just receiving it gracefully. It was almost unbearable for a liberal Catholic like myself.

I finally lost it on the homophobe who tried to get me involved in opposing the Ottawa's gay pride parade, and sadly this is what the future of a limited Catholic Church in Canada very well may be - divide and conquer, and alienate the masses. More liberal Catholics like myself don't want to be associated with that part of the church, though fortunately there is a contingent of young Catholics in Toronto who give out food to the homeless. That's something I can get behind.
Sounds like the Canadian version of the formula that has driven millions of Latin Americans over to various Protestant sects in recent decades.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #39  
Old Posted Oct 8, 2015, 12:24 AM
lio45 lio45 is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Quebec
Posts: 42,021
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarsus View Post
And what comes after that? It's a slippery slope. One of the things I like about western culture is that people are free to do what they want.
Have you ever set foot in a 'western culture' courtroom? We've never been free to do what we want.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #40  
Old Posted Oct 8, 2015, 12:48 AM
Acajack's Avatar
Acajack Acajack is online now
Unapologetic Occidental
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Province 2, Canadian Empire
Posts: 67,772
Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer View Post
Well, I was going to say that a decent "World Religions" program in the schools might be a good substitute but my point was not about guiding children toward Christianity (although if one is culturally Christian, it is not illogical) but rather to instill an understanding of the Bible, in particular, and the basics of Christianity. Without those, I really believe that a person will have significant gaps in their understanding of the Western world. To me, it's as much if not more about culture than is about religious faith.
Don't they have that type of class in your public schools? You have that in all Quebec schools. It is called Éthique et culture religieuse. It starts in Grade 1 if I recall. It teaches about religions, civics and values. I remember a few years ago my seven year old coming home and talking about Rama and Sita and the Diwali festival of light...
__________________
Amber alerts welcome at any time
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 8:35 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.