Christianity in Canada

Christianity In Canada

Religion in Canada encompasses a wide range of groups. The preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms refers to "God", and the monarch carries the title of "Defender of the Faith". However, Canada has no official religion, and support for religious pluralism (Freedom of religion in Canada) is an important part of Canada's political culture. The 2001 Canadian census reported that 77% of Canadians claim adherence to Christianity, followed by no religion at 16%, but rates of religious adherence have been steadily decreasing.

Pre-Canadian Native American religion was largely animistic. This included an intense reverence for spirits and nature. French settlement beginning in the 17th century established a Roman Catholic francophone population in Lower Canada, now Quebec, followed by English settlement that brought Anglicans and other Protestants to Upper Canada, now Ontario. The religious, cultural, and political antagonism between Canadian Protestants and Catholics remains a central theme of Canadian history.

It has been recently suggested that Canada has come to enter a post-Christian or secular state, where practice of the religion has "moved to the margins of public life", and irreligion is on the rise. A majority of Canadians consider religion to be unimportant, but still believe in a god.