For many of us, a walk through a BC forest or a quiet morning by an Ontario lake is where we find our peace. Yet, the Census asks us to report a religion even if we haven’t visited a place of worship in years. This instruction captures “cultural Christians”—people who have a familial connection to a faith but are functionally secular in their daily values. When we tick those boxes out of habit, we provide the empirical bedrock for billions in public funding for religious institutions. If your cathedral has no walls, your data should reflect that.
Secular Census Project, 2026