The Centre for Inquiry Canada published an excellent 5 part series on the Cost of Religion in Canada 2022. The links are below, each one preceded by an excerpt from
CFIC argues that, notwithstanding historical precedent, it is no longer appropriate to confer charitable status— along with all the financial benefits that status entails— on organizations whose sole purpose is evangelism, the aim of “advancing religion” is not an intrinsic good, and Canadians should not continue subsidizing organized religion.
Part 1 – An Introductory Report Exploring Advancement of Religion as a Charitable Purpose
Religious charities in Canada issued almost $6.2 billion in charitable tax receipts. Additionally, they received $1.26 billion from other charitable organizations, which issued tax receipts on their behalf. In total, Canadians received charitable tax receipts for over $7.4 billion of donations to religious charities.
Part 2 – Religious Charities Issuing Tax Receipts
In 2018, 3,612 religious charities in Canada received funds from at least one level of government. In total, Canadian governments transferred slightly more than $1 billion to charities incorporated under the category of advancement of religion.
Religious charities in Canada have over $5.7 billion in cash and bank accounts, and nearly another $10 billion in long term investments. Land and buildings worth over $26 billion (at the time of purchase) are also owned by religious charities. These assets have accumulated, tax free, over the course of several decades.
Part 4 – Tax Implications of Charities Advancing Religion
It is time to end the inappropriate and expensive policy of treating proselytization as a charitable activity. Canada is at its best when it lives up to its secular ideals: remaining neutral in matters of religion, showing no preference to any individual faith, nor to believers over non-believers. A single violation of this principle – recognizing advancement of religion as a charitable purpose – costs Canadians over $5,600,000,000 every year. This enormous amount of money can and should be put to better use. All levels of government should stop subsidizing religious organizations.
Part 5 – More than Just Money: The Concluding Report in a 5-Part Series
The Cost to Society in Other Ways
The Centre for Inquiry have done an excellent job in documenting the cost of religion in Canada through tax benefits, government funding and the wealth religious charities have accumulated. They don’t calculate the cost of religion through disruptive events like the truck convoy that set siege to Ottawa and blocked important Canada/USA trade routes. The video (posted below) by the Fifth Estate shows how religion played a major part in creating this movement. All indications are that USA based christian evangelical groups will continue to export their hate and disruptive activities into Canada through the pro-Trump elements of the PPC (People’s Party of Canada) and CPC (Conservative Party of Canada) and their supporters.
USA exported Christian extremism could be one of the most dangerous threats to Canadian democracy over the next decade.
How anger, faith and conspiracy theories fuelled the trucker convoy – The Fifth Estate