The church’s trust issue
On average, Canadians have less trust in the church than they do in science. It’s time for the church to determine where practices can be improved.
Concern is growing in the research community about people’s trust in science. From vaccines to the climate, too many people doubt the clear evidence science provides. The results are all around us.
Mistrust of vaccine safety and effectiveness means Canada has lost its status as a measles-free country. Enough individuals are hesitant to vaccinate that our immunization rate (82-85 percent) is well below the level needed to maintain herd immunity (90-95 percent). Because measles is highly contagious, high community immunization rates are necessary to prevent its spread.
A crisis of trust
The consequences of climate change can easily be seen in the wildfires burning across North America and Europe. Yet people doubt the science of climate change and the consequences of our widespread use of fossil fuels. Our society appears reluctant to make the sacrifices necessary to stop the increase in global temperatures.
But how can scientists increase trust? Clearer communication and humility about what we know and don’t know is one place to start. If the scientific community communicated better why mask use went from “it’s not important” to “masks will save lives” as we learned more about the virus, we might have maintained more credibility. All scientific knowledge bumps up against the unknown. We shouldn’t be afraid to admit when that’s the case.
Another important barrier to trust is how economic interests and powers can prevent behaviour change (think of the tobacco industry and cancer risk a few decades ago). We need to identify those whose interests will be damaged by change. In Canada, for example, oil is found only in some areas, and protecting our environment means limiting the exploitation of this resource. But we can’t find solutions until we confront the economic consequences of changing our energy use, especially for those most invested in it.
Yet even amid a crisis of trust in science, a survey of 23,000 people in 32 countries found that about 56 percent trusted scientists – a relatively high percentage, just below doctors at 58 percent.
Admitting we don’t know
Politicians are at the bottom of the ranking, with only 15 percent deeming them trustworthy. But clergy were not much better at about 26 percent. The survey’s clergy percentage is consistent with the rise in Canadians declaring themselves “non-religious” (34.6 percent in 2021, up from 16.5 percent in 2001, according to Statistics Canada). This weak trust in clergy and rise in “non-religious” affiliations suggests to me that the church has an even bigger trust problem than science.
It might be worthwhile for churches to do what scientists are doing and determine where practices can be improved. For example, just as scientists should have been clearer about masks during covid, doctrinal beliefs should be examined to make sure we admit the things we just don’t know. Given that all denominations start from the same scripture yet arrive at many different positions, humility in beliefs might increase trust in the church.
We can admit when we just don’t know, even while we proclaim the heart of our faith: the love of God through his son, Jesus Christ.
