In contrast to the United States, for instance, Canada has never had a strong national Christian identity. This developed naturally from Canada's origins as a nation of two founding cultures-English and French. As other cultural groups immigrated to Canada and as indigenous cultures were recognized, Canada has provided a society which has promoted and encouraged cultural and religious pluralism. Canada has been described as one of the first truly postmodern nations in which pluralism, relativism, and political correctness have been dominant values for decades. As a consequence, no particular religious tradition has ever gained prominence.
Political parties emphasize religious neutrality.
And religious voices and values have been marginalized in debates on social issues. Surveys suggest that most Canadians are interested in spiritual issues but are not interested in traditional religions. And they know little, if anything, about Christianity. The consequences of this underlying secularism for churches are profound. There is no latent respect for Christianity as the tradition or value system on which the nation was founded.