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I believe it could be as high as 10%. Over the past 70 years I've met numerous evangelicals in Canada. Some have been super intense, some more subtle but there was never mistaking any of them for anything other than evangelicals. I even have some relatives my age or older in Saskatchewan that are evangelicals and their parents before them were evangelicals. Add it up and that's more than 100 years of evangelizing in just the one family.
Actually, I'm encountering less of the evangelicals these days than I did 20 years ago or more and I think that's because Canada is getting more immigrants with different faiths from other countries. Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's it seemed like the lower mainland was swarming with the "born again" hippie crowd and the American COG evangelical crowd. You couldn't walk down any street downtown or through any park without being accosted by some arm waving, loud, in your face "praise Jesus" born againer asking if you also were born again and they'd be wanting to talk about their (and your) conversion. I guess it was unkind but they were so hung up and fixated on it that we used to call people like that "Jesus freaks" and the term stuck.
I don't see many like that around any more, just the odd one or two and more often than not they are outdoors at the park and are really "stoned" on Jesus as if they're experiencing some kind of perpetual rapture. They have glazed eyes and I think maybe some of them are off their meds or else on too many meds but otherwise they seem harmless enough. I don't engage with them as they often don't make much sense and they're kind of hard to disengage from unless you get rude with them and I don't like to do that.
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Last edited by Zoisite; 09-16-2017 at 03:40 PM..
Reason: spelling
I'd say evangelicals make up at least 60% in my area.
ETA: what i hear less about than 30-40 years ago are Pentecostals. I wonder if they are doing poorly all over or if this is a regional thing? Canadians not being as prone to emotional displays, and Mennonites have never had Pentecostal displays of emotion in our churches.
I don't have a lot of experience with evangelicals...uber Catholics yes. The ones I've met seem nice enough. They didn't push when I said I'm just not interested.
Went to a wedding where the " preacher ' was evangelical and his spiel was a little weird to me...a mix of praise Jesus, and off colour jokes. Hmmm. Maybe it's just in Canada we are weird. LOL
I don't have a lot of experience with evangelicals...uber Catholics yes. The ones I've met seem nice enough. They didn't push when I said I'm just not interested.
Went to a wedding where the " preacher ' was evangelical and his spiel was a little weird to me...a mix of praise Jesus, and off colour jokes. Hmmm. Maybe it's just in Canada we are weird. LOL
I've come across those types, most recently at my niece's wedding. I think some do that because they want to show that they have a sense of humour and are cool and with it. But they come across like they're your creepy uncle.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoisite
I believe it could be as high as 10%. Over the past 70 years I've met numerous evangelicals in Canada. Some have been super intense, some more subtle but there was never mistaking any of them for anything other than evangelicals. I even have some relatives my age or older in Saskatchewan that are evangelicals and their parents before them were evangelicals. Add it up and that's more than 100 years of evangelizing in just the one family.
Actually, I'm encountering less of the evangelicals these days than I did 20 years ago or more and I think that's because Canada is getting more immigrants with different faiths from other countries. Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's it seemed like the lower mainland was swarming with the "born again" hippie crowd and the American COG evangelical crowd. You couldn't walk down any street downtown or through any park without being accosted by some arm waving, loud, in your face "praise Jesus" born againer asking if you also were born again and they'd be wanting to talk about their (and your) conversion. I guess it was unkind but they were so hung up and fixated on it that we used to call people like that "Jesus freaks" and the term stuck.
I don't see many like that around any more, just the odd one or two and more often than not they are outdoors at the park and are really "stoned" on Jesus as if they're experiencing some kind of perpetual rapture. They have glazed eyes and I think maybe some of them are off their meds or else on too many meds but otherwise they seem harmless enough. I don't engage with them as they often don't make much sense and they're kind of hard to disengage from unless you get rude with them and I don't like to do that.
In my early 20's I worked at a hotel in Seattle, and I ended up driving this older couple from Vancouver Island across town in a shuttle van. This would have been about 15 years ago. They were of that okeley dokely and dag nammit sort in terms of their vocabulary, just folksy bumpkins. They open up the conversation, "So what kind of music do you listen to"? "Gospel???". As a youngin at the time I said, well...no. They gave a reaction of astonishment, NOOOOO?!??!?!? Reeeallllly? And then preached on about how the kingdom of heaven is restricted to only those who have been "saved" and went on about how he did a 180 in life when he became born again. I was on the hotels watch so the only way I could properly respond was a nod and grin, and and saying have a wonderful day upon departure to which he responds.. only Jesus can ave your soul, read the bible son.
I'm cool with Jesus, the whole bible beatstick is a bit much and over the line. Overall I don't feel that large of a presence of evangelicals in Canada in my travels up there, compared to say when I flew into Charlotte, NC and the exit from the Airport is named Billy Graham Parkway. Lordy... it's a different world down there.
In my early 20's I worked at a hotel in Seattle, and I ended up driving this older couple from Vancouver Island across town in a shuttle van. This would have been about 15 years ago. They were of that okeley dokely and dag nammit sort in terms of their vocabulary, just folksy bumpkins. They open up the conversation, "So what kind of music do you listen to"? "Gospel???". As a youngin at the time I said, well...no. They gave a reaction of astonishment, NOOOOO?!??!?!? Reeeallllly? And then preached on about how the kingdom of heaven is restricted to only those who have been "saved" and went on about how he did a 180 in life when he became born again. I was on the hotels watch so the only way I could properly respond was a nod and grin, and and saying have a wonderful day upon departure to which he responds.. only Jesus can ave your soul, read the bible son.
I'm cool with Jesus, the whole bible beatstick is a bit much and over the line. Overall I don't feel that large of a presence of evangelicals in Canada in my travels up there, compared to say when I flew into Charlotte, NC and the exit from the Airport is named Billy Graham Parkway. Lordy... it's a different world down there.
Born Agains are something else entirely.
In fact when I was in Malaysia a few years back, I ran into an Indian cab driver who told me the whole story about how he was dealing with cancer and was told he would not live past a certain point. He started praying to his own Hindu gods without success. He eventually ended up going to a church and told me that Jesus answered his call and was spared thanks to him. He then asked me what religion I practiced. I told him that I come from a Christian family, but that we don't pray and only casually observe any Christian holidays. At the end of the ride, he told me not to ignore Jesus and ended up giving me his Church's card.
I would have thought lower, maybe 3% or thereabouts.
*shrugs*
Still much better than what we have to endure. Though living in a northern city, Evangelicals are not a large part of the equation.
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