Only one-in-eight Canadians rule out the possibility of life after death, a new poll finds.New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with Cardus, finds three-in-five Canadians believe there is some sort of life after death. The belief in the afterlife has been held at a majority level steadily in survey data seen back to 1960. Two-in-five (40%) say there is no life after this one, while 13% “definitely” rule it out. .The belief in some sort of life after death is a core tenet of many religions including Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism; these are the religions that two-thirds (64%) of Canadians say they are followers of.Christianity teaches that following Jesus Christ leads to eternity in heaven, while not following him leads to hell. For Muslims, it’s the Akhirah, or the hereafter, the afterlife experienced either in Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam (hell). The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, describes the concept of that religion’s reincarnation, where the atman, or soul, enters a new body after death. In Sikhism, life is a cycle of samsara, or birth, death and rebirth, where souls are continuously reincarnated in new bodies.Evangelical Christians are the most likely (92% say yes) to believe in life after death, while Roman Catholics express more doubt (67%). Among the other Abrahamic faiths, Muslims (87%) strongly believe while Jews predominately doubt the existence of life after death at a majority level (60%). Hindus (71%) and Sikhs (67%) are also firm in their belief of life after death..The number of Canadians who say they believe in life after death has varied little over time, ranging from 60% to 66% in a typical year with a notable exception. In the aftermath of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, belief in life after death reached a nadir..However, the majority belief in a life after death has held since the 1960s. In Gallup polls in 1960 and 1984 at least three-in-five Canadians said they believed there was life after death. Note that the question varied for Gallup, offering an option of “don’t know” which was not provided in the ARI questionnaires..Quebecers are the least likely to believe in a life after death, perhaps owing to that province’s higher propensity for secularism. Elsewhere, belief is highest on the prairies and lowest on the coasts..Men older than 54 are the most likely to definitively deny there is life after death at one-in-four (23%) while women that age are the most likely to definitively affirm it exists at 36%..The largest group of Canadians are Spiritually Uncertain (43%), while near equal-sized groups are classified as Non-Believer (21%), Privately Faithful (19%) and Religiously Committed (17%).Non-Believers are near unanimous (92%) in their belief that there is no life after death, with few (8%) disagreeing. The Spiritually Uncertain are the most divided, leaning slightly towards believing in some sort of afterlife (56%) than not (44%). Meanwhile, the Privately Faithful and Religiously Committed believe in life after death at supermajority levels..The Easter weekend is an important one on the Christian calendar, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his death on the cross. This account is in the New Testament of the Bible..Seven-in-ten (70%) Evangelical Christians say they strongly believe the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a historical event, the most of any group of religious followers. A majority (62%) of Jews disagree, the only religious group to do so at a majority level.
