Eternally Damned, Yet Socially Conscious? The Volunteerism of Canadian Atheists

Research suggests that people who are religious may volunteer because religion is innately prosocial (i.e., inclination) or perhaps because religious communities provide volunteering chances (i.e., opportunities). Using data from Statistics Canada (General Social Survey, Cycle 33), we explored the relationship between different religious and nonreligious identities and volunteering behaviors, time commitments to volunteering, and organization types for which respondents volunteered. Results indicated a complex relationship between religious/nonreligious identity, religious attendance, and prayer. We found that (1) atheists were more likely to volunteer than religious individuals who were low on religious attendance; (2) atheists were less likely to volunteer than religious individuals who were high on religious attendance; (3) the difference in volunteering between atheists and religious individuals was driven by the latter’s volunteering in a religious context, not in the broader community. The results suggest that atheists likely have fewer opportunities to volunteer but are similarly inclined to volunteer.