RebDogRadio 2026 World Humanist Congress with Sarah Wilkins-LaflammeRebDogRadio 2026 World Humanist Congress with Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme
Rebellion Dogs Radio
Joe C talks with sociologist Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme about global trends in non-religion, spiritual-but-not-religious identities and humanism at the 2026 World Humanist Congress. Their conversation focuses on how changing beliefs shape culture, politics and community life across generations.
56:24•2 Sept 2026
Secular Lives, Spiritual Journeys: Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme on Humanism and Belief
Episode Overview
- Non-religion has grown sharply across generations, with Canada seeing about a third of people report no religion and even higher rates among younger adults.
- Being spiritual but not religious often acts as a bridge away from organised religion, though many raised without religion simply identify as secular.
- Since around 2017, all generations in Canada have shown increased non-religion, suggesting a wider cultural shift rather than just a youth trend.
- Contexts with high secularisation raise new questions about how minority religious communities adapt and how non-religious norms shape everyday life.
- Global survey data highlight both shared values and stark differences between religious and non-religious groups on social and political issues.
“"Non‑religions or people who are not religious are very prevalent across the world."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety when traditional religion doesn’t quite fit? This episode of Rebellion Dogs Radio brings together host Joe C and sociologist Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme to talk about the rise of the "spiritual, not religious" and what that means for community, values and identity.
Sarah, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo, unfolds fresh census and survey data from Canada, the US, the UK and beyond, showing how non-religion has become common across generations. She notes that in Canada, people saying they have no religion have gone from "less than one percent" in 1911 to about "a third of people" today, with younger adults even higher.
For anyone in recovery who leans secular or humanist, it’s reassuring to hear that non-belief is far from rare. You’ll hear them chat about the World Humanist Congress 2026 in Ottawa, where Sarah was the Saturday keynote and spoke to a crowd of 500 delegates about secularisation, humanism as resistance, and the very real risks faced by irreligious people in some countries.
Joe reflects on how the Congress challenged his "white male privilege" and his assumptions that being humanist is always safe and uncomplicated. The conversation digs into questions that matter to many in recovery: Do people need an "us and them"? What replaces church when people leave religion—politics, science, individual choice, or something else? Sarah talks about "cultural Christians" and the big group she jokingly calls "apotheists" – people who "don't know, don't care" and would rather talk about something else.
If you’ve ever identified as spiritual but not religious, or wondered how secular values like autonomy, science and human rights shape modern recovery communities, you’ll find this episode packed with useful context, gentle humour and solid data. It’s a chance to ask yourself: where do your own beliefs fit into these changing trends, and what kind of community feels right for your recovery?
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