Rahin Virani

HHS4U
Mr.Kraemer
February 22nd, 2016

Families in Canada ISP: Phase 1

Topic: Decline of Religion
Research Question: What factors are leading to declining religiosity in North
America?
Hypothesis: People are becoming less religious in North America due to
higher standards of living, higher levels of education and the adoption of
values that are inconsistent with religion
Subtopics in Relation to the Decline of Religion:
Higher Standards of Living:
Income and standards of living have a significant impact on individuals
choices. Often these factors influence whether or not someone chooses to
believe in a religion and affect whether or not an individual feels religion is
an important aspect of their life.
Higher Levels of Education:
As the world becomes more and more educated, individuals gain more
perspective and insight into different perspectives and avenues of thought.
As a result individuals with little education may be more comfortable
identifying themselves with established religious and cultural norms.
Peoples values are inconsistent with religion:
Often in our modern societies, our values have become more progressive.
We are more accepting of homosexuality, abortion, pre-marital sex and other
values that religion advocates against. As our values shift away from religion,
more and more individuals choose to leave faiths that are ideologically
inconsistent with their personal beliefs.
Significance of Topic:

Religion is historically one of the most important institutions in society.

Throughout history we have relied on religion for guidance on moral beliefs,
understanding of the world, and guidelines for interaction with others. As
more and more people shift away from organised religion it is important for
us to discover why, and more importantly how it impacts society as a whole.
With this understanding in mind, we can better prepare for societal shifts in
attitude and in cultural norms. The decline in religion impacts both the
individual and families as units and society as a whole. Families have
historically relied on the church to provide guidance for important decisions
such as family size and division of labour, a decline of the religion could
mean a more individualistic approach to family functions. For the individual,
understanding how they establish their moral beliefs and which influences
have replaced religion is crucial in understanding the motivations and belief
system of the individual. For families, religion has largely been hereditarily
passed down from one generation to the other; the decline of religion
represents the eventual termination of this role. For society as a whole, the
decline of religion will have further implications on the legal and judicial
system, public policy, and a shift in societal norms.
Personal Significance:
In my personal life I have always struggled with religious belief. Growing up
in a devout Muslim family I was constantly surrounded by religious influences
and would attend religious prayers on a weekly basis. As I grew up I became
more and more secular, I started realising that the belief in a deity without
evidence was illogical and served no purpose. Furthermore, I found that my
personal values did not align with any religions and as such I started to
identify as non-religious. I hope that by completing this study I can further
understand why many individuals like myself are shifting away towards
religion.
Notes from Sources:
Subtopic 1: Higher Standards of Living
Source 1: Do countries lose religion as they gain wealth? By Kazi Stastna
APA Citation: Stastna, K. (2013). Do countries lose religion as they gain
wealth? Retrieved February 20, 2016, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/docountries-lose-religion-as-they-gain-wealth-1.1310451
Notes:

Studies have consistently shown that the worlds poorest nations are

some of the most religious in the world

A 2009 study by Gregory Paul concluded that religion is most able to

thrive in seriously dysfunctional societies

His study also noted that societies that scored the best on socio-

economic indicators were often the most secular

"The correlation between religiosity and successful societies is
somewhere around 0.7. Zero is no correlation and one is a perfect
correlation, so it's a really good correlation, and it's not just an

accident
"There's no situation where you have a really highly religious nation

that's highly successful socially"

Pauls study challenged common conservative beliefs that societies
that are more secular lack moral values, in his research he consistently
found murder rates, sexual assault rates and other violent crime to be

significantly higher in religious states

Paul notes that religion is often used as a psychological coping
mechanism, therefore, it makes sense that poorer countries that face
more problems are significantly likely to rely on deities rather than in

countries where problems are scarce

Paul notes that the countries with the highest quality of life
(Scandinavian Countries) their religiosity fell tremendously between

1947 and 2001 (Sweden fell 33.6%)

During the same time period, Canada saw a 7.2% decrease, relatively

mild compared to other developed nations

Data from the WIN-Gallup International Religiosity and Atheism Index
shows that countries with a GDP per capita of less than $14,000 had

more than 85 percent of the respondents identifying as religious

20 years of results from the World Values Survey showed that in
agrarian societies, 44 per cent of people said they attended church at
least once a week compared to 25 per cent in industrial and 20 per
cent in post-industrial societies

A recent Gallup poll showed that in countries with a GDP per capita of
less than $2000 95% of respondents answered yes when asked Is

religion an important part of your daily life

In countries with a GDP per capita of more than $25,000, 47 percent of

respondents answered yes

In Canada, 42% of respondents answered yes to the same question
A research correspondent from Gallup concluded research has shown
that societies tend to grow more secular as they modernize and as

living standards improve

Norris and Inglehart conclude in their 2004 book Sacred and Secular:
Religion and Politics Worldwide, that Religion becomes less central as
people's lives become less vulnerable to the constant threat of death,

disease and misfortune

The study also notes that in poorer communities religious institutions

often provide essential services such as education and healthcare

Phil Zuckerman a sociology professor at Pitzer College noted that
although the United States is wealthy it is still significantly more

religious than other nations in its wealth bracket

Societies that have strong social safety nets and have representative

democracies tend to promote more secularism among their population

According to the World Values Survey, 24.2 percent of Americans

attend church weekly compared to 17.7 percent in Canada

Zuckerman notes that the United States has significantly more wealth
inequality than any other developed nation, this could help explain its
statistically abnormal rates of religiosity

Source Summary:
The source uses research from a variety of sources to conclude that religion
is significantly more prevalent in societies with a lower standard of living.
The research further makes the correlation that countries with higher GDP
per capita are less likely to
view religion as important factor in their daily life
Source Strengths and Weaknesses:

The source uses a variety of reputable studies to back up its claims, the
source also uses studies that utilise large sample sizes for more accurate
results. The source also examines sociological factors among different
countries to interpret conclusions.
Source Bias:
All of the polls were conducted by western based research institutions,
furthermore, no census data was used from the countries where the
conclusions were shown to be correct i.e. less developed nations. Since the
research questions and methodology were formed by western institutions, it
is possible that researchers failed to take cultural differences into account.
Source 2: How Religion Contributes To Wealth And Poverty by Lisa A. Keister
APA Citation: Keister, L. A. (2011). How Religion Contributes To Wealth And
Poverty. Retrieved February 20, 2016, from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-a-keister/religion-contributes-wealthpoverty_b_1069766.html
Notes:
High levels of wealth inequality contribute to higher religiosity,

specifically in America
When people have more financial savings they are less likely to rely on

religion as a protection from their problems

Religion is strongly correlated with educational attainment, decision to

have kids etc.

Religion also has an impact on wealth and money, many people who
choose to work in religious occupations strive for a lower level of

education and earn less money

Different religions can have different preferences on family life
Conservative Protestants are more likely large families and a traditional

gender division of labour in which women do not work out of the home
They are also more likely to have a lower education levels than other

groups
As a result they are also more poorer than their other social
counterparts

Jews for example are more likely to pursue higher education and are

more likely to have smaller family sizes

For Catholics, their wealth level has grown over time often reflecting
how it is illogical to paint all religions with the same brush, every single
religious denominations have different cultural views that are bound to

change
The recent recession (2008) has shown that it is important to have

savings by which members can fall back on

Source Summary:
Increased wealth inequality leads to higher religiosity in most societies.
People who have less financial savings are more likely to rely on religion.
Religion can have significant impact on wealth as often important decisions
are made with religious guidance such as family size and division of labour.
All religions have different cultural norms, often looking as religion at a
macro level can be deceiving as different religions often promote different
views than the other.
Source Strengths and Weaknesses:
The source did show data that was consistent with research but failed to cite
the data or to analyse it. The source also provided anecdotal evidence of
results, thus, the accuracy of some of the claims remains questionable
Source Bias:
The source was written for Huffington post Religion. The viewers of this
website would more likely than not identify as religious and as a result, the
evidence suggesting the negative implications of religion was minimised
Subtopic 2: Higher Levels of Education
Source 1: The Effect of Education on Religion: Evidence from Compulsory
Schooling Laws by Daniel M. Hungerman
APA Citation: Hungerman, D. M. (2011). The Effect of Education on Religion:
Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Laws. NBER Working Paper No. 16973.
In ERIC: Reports. National Bureau of Economic Research

Notes:

Historically, education and religion represent two of the dominant

institutions of human society

Each institution has been shown to have a significant impact on the

individual
Examples of this include:
o Increased religious participation has been linked to increased

charitable giving
o Higher levels of education has resulted in increased wages
Globally, countries with higher levels of education have lower levels of

religiosity
Canadian census data shows that individuals who have completed
higher levels of education are more mitigate religions impact in their

life
The results were amplified for Canadians who spent more years

enrolled in formal education

Census data shows that one extra year of schooling leads to a 4
percentage-point increase in the likelihood that an individual reports

having no religious affiliation

These results were shown across all provinces
Interestingly, these results were less pronounced on the Catholic faith

comparatively to Protestantism
Findings suggest there is a strong correlation between religiosity and

education
In the 1971 Canadian Census, respondents were asked to state their

religious affiliation, 4 percent identified as non-affiliated

In 2001, the fraction of the population that was non-affiliated had

increased to 16 percent
Similar trends were seen in America (General Social Survey)
During this time period, the average years of schooling in the US

increased by 2.1 years

In Canada the average schooling increased by 1.9 years
All nations throughout the world had increased levels of education, one
source citing that between 1960 and 2000 the average years of
schooling rose by 70 percent

Some social scientists cite the decrease in religiosity is due to

substantial educational and scientific achievement

Many social scientists disagree with each other in regards to whether

society is increasingly being secularised

Church attendance is highest for those having completed less than 12

years of schooling
Church attendance is lowest for those having completed 12 or more

years of schooling
This evidence shows that over time educational attainment has been

growing while religious attendance has been declining

In Canada religious denominated schools (mainly Catholic) receive

support from government tax-revenue

This may explain why Catholicism experienced lower levels of decline

than other Christian counterparts

Source Summary:
This research paper shows the strong correlation between education and
levels of religiosity. Using Canadian census data and research polls the paper
concludes that higher levels of education result in lower levels of religiosity.
Source Strengths/Weaknesses
The source is well organized and uses data from many reputable sources
including Statistics Canada. The research is highly relevant to our topic as
the data is primarily collected from North America. The source also directs
proves correlation by providing multiple examples and controlling the data
for different variables.
Source Bias:
Although the source acknowledges numerous studies which refute the
authors claims, these studies are not examined nor are the results available
for the reader to compare and analyze. This suggests a possibility for conflict
of interest and/or lack of objectivity on behalf of the researcher.
Source 2: Education and Religion by Edward L. Glasser
APA Citation: Glaeser, E. (2001). Education and Religion. Harvard University
and NBER.

Notes:

In the United States, religious attendance rises sharply with education

across individuals
Individuals who found more social connections through schooling were

less likely to attend religious services

The negative effect of education on religious belief occurs because
secular education emphasizes secular beliefs that are at odds with

many traditional religious views

Schooling also promotes secular views on topics such as evolution
Members of religious groups with the least education attend religious

prayers the most regularly

There is a negative 86 percent correlation between average education

and average religious attendance across denominations

An important factor to consider when studying the effect of education

on religion is the degree of religious belief i.e. religiosity

Factors such as interests and extent of social skills relate heavily to

both church attendance and school attendance

Many prominent social scientists disapprove of religion and as a result,
people who are exposed to their theories are significantly more likely

to question their faith

People who received post-secondary education were less likely to

state that their belief in God was absolutely certain ( 52% vs 66%)
People who received post-secondary education were less likely to
agree with the statement religion is very important to me (47% vs

58%)
People who received post-secondary education were less likely to pray

on a daily basis ( 57% vs 49%)

People who received post-secondary education were less likely to read

scripture on a weekly basis ( 30% vs 37%)

People who received post-secondary education were less likely to belief

in heaven (63% vs 78%) and hell (48% vs 65%)

The United States if America has less negative correlation with
education than other countries

Summary of Source:
Religious attendance is heavily correlated with educational attainment. One
theory that researchers examined was the fact that schooling promotes a
secular way of thinking, one that relies on empirical scientific details. In
general across all indicators, those with post-secondary degrees were more
likely to hold less religious views compared to their high school graduate
counterparts
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Source:
The source utilises a variety of reputable polls and surveys. The source uses
a combination of historical and current data to compare trends. It includes
graphical representation of results from the Pew Centre for Research to
quickly give the reader important information on the correlation between
education and religion.
Source Bias:
The source mainly explores data from the United States and often makes
broad generalisations to the state of religion globally. While some
observations may be true it is important to note that each individual country
requires an individual analysis due to cultural factors, as a result it can be
said that the source is geographically biased from a western point of view
Subtopic 3: Peoples values are inconsistent with religion
Source 1: Why we should worry when millennials don't take religion seriously
by Arthur E. Farnsley II
APA Citation: Farnsley, A. (2015). Why we should worry when millennials
don't take religion seriously. Retrieved February 17, 2016, from
http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/06/worry-millennials-dont-takereligion-seriously-commentary/
Notes:
Millennials have been increasingly accepting of scientific and evidencebased discussion

This is in contrary to older generations which were more likely to refute

claims that contradicted their religious views

Millennials are the group with the non-religious population with 26%

stating that they have no religious affiliation

This is compared to 8%, of individuals who were born between 1928 to

1945 (silent generation)

In 2000, 35% of Americans supported gay marriage, now the number is

52%
When asked if pornography should be illegal, 21 percent of Millennials
said they would support the ban while 57% of individuals of the silent

generation said they would

Millennials are also less likely to hold contempt for other religions, for
example when asked whether the Islamic religion promotes violence, a
third of millennials agreed while half of those in the silent generation

agreed
Millennials are also more accepting of evolution and abortion, even

though these beliefs hold stark contrast to religious beliefs

Millennials are also more likely to place important on freedom of

religion acts on the state level

Religion has historically been a significant motivator of public policy
and government in the United States and as a result, this new shift in

secularism will continue to influence society as a whole

Source Summary:
Millennials are increasingly using scientific and logical reasoning to form their
beliefs rather than using religion. The millennials shift away from religion can
be explained by the fact that their value systems differ from those taught by
organised religion, and as a result, they are more likely to hold secular
values.
Source Strengths/Weakness:
The source uses a few reputable sources to make claims. The source lacks
concrete evidence on major claims
Source Bias:

Because the source is the work of one researcher and the research cited is
limited, the accuracy of the source is questionable. The source does not
show opposing arguments, instead focuses solely on evidence that
compliments its initial hypothesis. As a result, the source lacks defined
objectivity.
Source 2: Canada marching from religion to secularization by Michael Valpy
APA Citation: Valpy, M. (2010). Canada marching from religion to
secularization. Retrieved February 20, 2016, from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-marching-fromreligion-to-secularization/article1320108/
Notes:
In 1971, 1 percent of Canadians identified as having no religion
In 2010, Statistics Canada showed that 23 percent of Canadians said

that they are not religious

Young people are turning away from faith as their personal values are

becoming more and more inconsistent with religion

In 2002, 34 percent of 15-29 year olds said religion was highly

important to them
In 2009, that number sharply dropped to 22 percent
The reason that Canada retains high levels of religious devotion of

certain faiths is due to immigration

A recent 2009, study showed that the rate of non-religion among

Canadian-born was 28% while among immigrants the number was 19%
Among Immigrants who arrived between 1982 and 2009 50.4% say
religion is highly important to them compared to 30.6% of Canadian-

born who stay the same

Canada was the 4th country in the world to issue marriage licenses to
same-sex couples, this shows the degree of secularism that has

permeated into our value system as a whole

Every single major political party in Canada supports gay marriage and
abortion this is contrary to the United States in which only one of the
two major political parties support gay marriage (Democratic Party)

Canadian schools and most American schools teach curriculum that

acknowledges evolution as fact

Sociologist David Seljak said that the availability of parking, quality of
preaching, and childrens programs are major factors that influence
younger Canadians to go to church

Source Summary:
The Canadian political and educational system is largely secular due to the
shift in religiosity in Canadian demographics. Younger people are increasingly
turning away from religion due to their values being inconsistent with
religion. Support for social policies such as same-sex marriage, abortion are
largely supported by Canadian population
Source Strengths/Weaknesses:
The source uses a variety of concusses and studies from Canada and the
United States. The source provides information in an informal matter, giving
a general overview of the issue rather than focusing on a particular topic or
trend.
Source Bias:
The source only reveals data that would directly support its claim. It does not
acknowledge any contradictory statements. Even though the article presents
itself as a news report, the one-sided opinions and persuasive language
suggest a lack of objectivity.