TORONTO (RNS) A groundbreaking new poll suggests Canadians’ vaunted religious tolerance may be a myth.
The national online survey conducted in April by Angus Reid Strategies shows that even as Canada becomes dramatically more multifaith through immigration, only 28 percent of respondents approve of Islam, and just 30 percent approve of Sikhism.
The poll of 1,000 adults conducted for Maclean’s magazine reveals little more approval for other faiths: Only 41 percent of those polled approve of Hinduism, while just 53 percent approve of Judaism and 57 endorse Buddhism.
In all, 72 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of Christianity, which remains the country’s largest faith group, even though only about one out of four Canadian Christians attend church with any regularity.
The poll’s key findings include: 62 percent believe Canada’s laws and norms should not be modified to accommodate religious minorities; 45 percent say that mainstream Islam encourages violence; majorities of at least 51 percent say faith-based schools should not receive tax dollars.
Most respondents (86 percent) claim to have a good basic understanding of the teachings and beliefs of Christianity. However, “no other religion came even remotely close to the same level of knowledge,” said the polling firm, with Judaism (40 percent), Buddhism (32 percent) and Islam (32 percent) doing slightly better than Hinduism (18 percent) and Sikhism (12 percent).
Christianity dominated on a question of whether respondents have any friends who are followers of specific religions, with 89 percent of those surveyed reporting they have Christian friends. Judaism was next at 45 percent, followed by Islam (32 percent), Buddhism (27 percent), Hinduism (24 percent), and Sikhism (16 percent).
Only 39 percent would approve of their child marrying a Muslim or Sikh. Slight majorities of approval were seen for marrying Jews (56 percent) and Buddhists (53 percent). Meanwhile, 83 percent would approve of their child marrying a Christian.
A majority oppose the public funding of private religious schools of any kind, even though it occurs in most places. Fifty-one percent oppose tax dollars going to Catholic, evangelical or other Christian schools. Roughly seven out of 10 oppose public dollars going to Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh or Muslim independent schools.
The polling company’s Canadian religion specialist, Andrew Grenville, was quoted in the Vancouver Sun as saying he found the results “astonishing” and “saddening.”
