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Faith and Religion
January 1, 1925
How do you reconcile religious values with consumerism and materialism?
That is the challenge facing Canadians and Canadian Churches.
Now that Canada has made the transition to an industrial and strongly
capitalist economy, many are worried that modern values, with their emphasis
on acquiring goods, are sweeping away traditional morality. Scientific
rationalism is battering away at long-held beliefs and about Creation
and God.
Later this year, the Congregationalist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches
will merge to form the United Church. The new Church hopes, in part, to
stem the tide against materialist thinking and alcohol consumption.
Women are the backbone of church groups and volunteer organizations,
but they have not yet been acccepted as ministers.
Divorce, still rare, is becoming more common.
In Québec, the Catholic Church is still the dominant social and
religious force. Its authority is keeping a lid on the kind of changes
that are shaking up the rest of Canada.
Breakdown of approximate membership:
| Roman Catholic |
3,700,000 |
| Anglican |
1,500,000 |
| Presbyterian |
1,500,000 |
| Methodist |
1,200,000 |
| Baptist |
420,000 |
| Lutheran |
325,000 |
| Other or not stated |
240,000 |
| Greek Orthodox |
160,000 |
| Jewish |
140,000 |
| Mennonite |
70,000 |
| Congregationalist |
30,000 |
| Salvation Army |
26,000 |
| Mormon |
20,000 |
| No religion |
16,500 |
| Evangelical Church |
16,000 |
| Pentecostal |
15,000 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses |
10,000 |
| United Church |
10,000 |
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