In terms of dress, conversation, books, TV programs and movies, foreigners would be hard pressed to tell Americans and Canadians apart. And yet on certain issues like gay marriage, drug use and abuse and even church attendance, according to an International Herald Tribune feature article, "a chasm has opened up on social issues that go to the heart of fundamental values" (Dec. 3, 2003).
Many Canadians are apparently adopting the more liberalized European approach to many current societal problems. Two Canadian provinces have given approval to gay marriage, and the central government in Ottawa is moving in the direction of legalizing marijuana use.
Despite incidents like Canadian refusal to send combat troops to Iraq, political differences between the two countries tend to fade with the passing of administrations in Washington D.C. and Ottawa, but cultural divergence can easily become much more entrenched.
The Tribune article added that "weekly church attendance among Canadians has plummeted since the 1950s while American church attendance has remained virtually constant." Whether these divisive trends will become a permanent fixture or are merely a temporary blip on the graph bears watching.
What many Americans and Canadians do not understand is their common heritage and future legacy. To understand more, please write for our free booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. (Source: International Herald Tribune .)
