About one in every four Canadians are comfortable saying they do not believe in a god, according to the latest Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey.

Out of 1,000 respondents polled this month, 23 per cent said they didn't believe in God, while six percent declined to give an opinion. In terms of demographics, the Harris-Decima poll revealed that more women than men believe in God; while Canadians aged 50 and above are far more likely to be believers than those under 25.

United Church Minister Keith Howard says however, that the results of the new survey does not indicate any dramatic change.

"We are past the time of people trashing God," Howard said in a Canadian Press report, adding, "They are now trying to find a safe place where they can nurture that spirituality."

The Church leader maintained "that people who believe in a god increasingly imagine a powerful, but nebulous force for good - kind of like the Force in the Star Wars movies", the report added.