Religious Americans and religious Canadians: How different are they?

Religiously committed Americans are much more patriotic and optimistic than the overall U.S. population. Eighty-two percent of them say they love their country and what it stands for, compared to 68 percent of Americans generally. Religiously committed Canadians are less enthusiastic about their country than Canadians overall (at 70 percent and 77 percent, respectively). In terms of optimism for their country’s future, 62 percent of religiously committed Americans are optimistic (compared to 47 percent of Americans overall), while only 43 percent of religiously committed Canadians are optimistic (compared to 47 percent of Canadians overall). There are also distinctions in political affiliation. In the United States, 79 percent of those on the more religious side of the spectrum were in the Trump camp in 2024. In Canada’s 2021 federal election, 44 percent voted Conservative, 29 percent Liberal, 20 percent NDP, and 19 percent Bloc, reflecting much less of a political consensus among them. It seems Yankee Doodle finds his faith reinforced through political engagement; Captain Canuck is less confident about his politics. That doesn’t mean Captain Canuck is passive or withdrawn. In fact, he is more active in the broader community than is his American cousin. For example, 55 percent of the religiously committed in Canada reported volunteering for a community group or cause, far higher than the 40 percent of Canadians generally. On the American side, 51 percent of the religiously committed report volunteering for a community group or cause, compared to 39 percent of Americans generally. When it comes to donating money to a charitable cause, 82 percent of the most religious Canadians do so (compared to 66 percent of Canadians overall), while 71 percent of the most religious Americans report doing so (compared to 58 percent of Americans overall). Religiously committed Canadians also help out someone in need, socialize with their neighbours (beyond a quick hello), and participate in neighbourhood or community projects at higher rates than their American counterparts. Despite their higher social involvement, religiously committed Canadians feel out of step with broader society. While the polling finds Americans in this group are much more likely than Americans in general to be satisfied with “the way things are going,” their Canadian counterparts are less satisfied than Canadians overall. What’s more, the most religious Canadians feel less welcome in their communities than the general population. In the United States, it’s the opposite. Combining these numbers creates a fascinating story of difference. Religiously active Americans are more homogeneous in their political views, more optimistic than their neighbours about their country’s future, and feel more connected to their society. Their Canadian counterparts are less enamoured with politics but more engaged with their neighbours, yet still likely feel somewhat excluded from broader society. So, it’s not surprising that the drumbeat of Yankee Doodle’s march is more confident than Captain Canuck’s quiet service. Sixty-nine percent of Americans in general agree that they’re public about their religion, compared with only 52 percent of Canadians. While it may be convenient shorthand to describe the religion that rallies behind figures like Donald Trump, fuels movements like Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, and blends faith with populist nationalism as common on both sides of the border, the data does not bear it out. Granted, most Canadians see the American context as unbalanced. For the most part, they’d be right. That doesn’t mean, however, that Canada has the balance right either.