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What about the most religious amongst us? Just over half identified as middle-of-the road politically – not significantly different than Canadians as a whole, and no different than what non-believers said about themselves. It’s true that just over one-third of the “religiously committed” self-identified as being on the political right, while 14 per cent said they were leftist.

But non-believers were the mirror image: Just over one-third were leftist, with 14 per cent on the political right. So, just as we see with those who take a negative view of religion, religious belief leads neither to homogenous views, nor to political extremes.

However, bringing religiously inspired perspectives to public issues will help us create a more caring Canada. On the question of which was the best way to live life – achieving our own dreams or being concerned about helping others – religiosity was the clear dividing line among Canadians. Fully two-thirds of the religiously committed prioritized helping others. An almost equal proportion of non-believers chose taking care of yourself first.

We also asked Canadians whether “rich people” should enjoy spending their money as they wished or should share the wealth with the less fortunate. Almost 70 per cent of the religiously committed said that those with wealth had a responsibility to share it. Only 54 per cent of non-believers said the same.

Religious faith has a role to play in Canada’s public life. It’s key to personal identity for most of us and helps us to make sense of the world. It doesn’t push us to the extremes. It impels us to care for others. That’s worth thinking about when we consider the next 150 years of Canadian society.

Ray Pennings is co-founder and executive vice-president of think tank Cardus.