Religious divisions of the civilian population of Papua New Guinea based on the 2011 census [1]
Catholic church (26%)
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (18.4%)
Seventh-day Adventist Church (12.9%)
Pentecost (10.4%)
United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (10.3%)
Evangelical Alliance (5.9%)
Anglican Church (3.2%)
Baptist Church (2.8%)
Salvation Army (0.4%)
Quato Church (0.2%)
Other Christians (5.1%)
Non-Christians (1.4%)
Not indicated (3.1%)
Religion in Papua New Guinea is predominantly Christian , as well as traditional animism and the cult of ancestors , often found less publicly as another level below or near Christianity. Both in theory and in practice, the courts and the government uphold the constitutional right to freedom of speech, thought and belief. The vast majority of Papua New Guineans consider themselves followers of the Christian Church (96% according to the 2000 census); however, many combine their Christian faith with the traditional beliefs and customs of indigenous peoples [2] . Other religions common in the country include the Bahá'í faith and Islam [3] .
A 2010 report by the United States Department of State on religious freedom in the world states that religious participation in a country's life is relatively peaceful and there are no reports of conflicts. Once a week, a religious subject is taught in public schools, and representatives of Christian churches conduct classes, and students attend classes organized by the church at the choice of their parents. Children whose parents do not wish to attend classes are released. Members of non-Christian denominations are few in number, and they use family and group gatherings before and after school for religious lessons [4] .
Content
Christianity
The 2000 census percentages were as follows:
- Roman Catholic Church (27.0%)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (19.5%)
- United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (11.5%)
- Seventh-day Adventist Church (10.0%)
- Pentecost (8.6%)
- Evangelical Alliance (5.2%)
- The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea (3.2%)
- Baptist Church (0.5%)
- Salvation Army (0.2%)
- Other Christians (10%)
- Jehovah's Witnesses (0.4%)
- Church of Christ (0.4%) [5]
Iglesia nor Cristo , a Filipino Christian church, has already settled in the country.
In 2010, new Christian denominations appeared, including Jehovah's Witnesses and the International Church of the Members of God .
Members of the Council of Churches of Papua New Guinea are:
- The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
- The Gutnian Lutheran Church (associated with the Synod of the Lutheran Church in Missouri )
- United Baptist Church
- Roman catholic church
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea
- United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
- Salvation Army
There are also a number of other church organizations:
- Summer Linguistic Institute is a missionary institution supported by conservative evangelical Protestant churches in the United States and, to a lesser extent, Australia; he translates the Bible into local languages and conducts extensive linguistic research.
- YWCA - Christian Association of Young Girls
Vera Bahai
The Bahá'í faith in Papua New Guinea arises after 1916, when Abdu'l-Bahá, the then leader of this religion, said that Bahá'ís should accept this faith in this country [6] . The first Bahá'ís (“ Pioneer Bahá'ís ”) Moved to Papua New Guinea in 1954 [7] . With local converts in 1958, the first Local Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly was elected [8] . The first National Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1969 [9] . According to the 2000 census, the number of representatives of the Bahá'í faith does not exceed 21,000. [10] However, the Association of Religious Data Archives is in (based on the World Christian Encyclopedia ) estimated the number of Baha'is in 2005 is three times more - 60,000 people, or 0.9% of the country's population [11] . In any case, this is the largest minority religion in Papua New Guinea. Among its most famous members are Margaret Elias and Sirus Naraqi .
Elias is the daughter of the first woman from Papua New Guinea in the National Assembly [12] , and she is the country's first female lawyer (in the 1970s) [13] . She participated in the Fourth World Conference on the Status of Women in 1995 and for many years of public service, especially in the government of the country, received an award in 1995 and 2002 and continued to support various educational initiatives [14] .
Naraki lived and worked in Papua New Guinea from 1977 - 1979 and 1983 - 1998, partly in clinical medical work, and taught at the University of Papua New Guinea , where he was awarded in 1999 and was a member of the Continental Council of Advisers in Australasia since 1985 [15] .
Islam
Islam in Papua New Guinea has more than 5,000 followers [16] [17] . Most of them are Sunnis . Many people became Muslims as a result of the surge in Islam. Despite the fact that adherents of Islam are the dominant religion in the neighboring country, Indonesia , they make up a small part of the population.
Traditional Religions
Traditional religions are often animistic , and many of them have elements of ancestral worship , as well as tamam witches [18] .
Cargo Cult
Some cargo cults arose in Papua New Guinea in the 20th century, including the tarot cult and events known as the Vailal Madness .
See also
- Catholicism in Papua New Guinea
- Islam in Papua New Guinea
Notes
- ↑ PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2011 NATIONAL REPORT-NATIONAL STATISTICAL OFFICE . sdd.spc.int .
- ↑ US Department of State . International Religious Freedom Report . US Department of State (2003). Date of treatment March 5, 2019.
- ↑ Papua New Guinea . International Religious Freedom Report: BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR . US Department of State (2006). Date of treatment March 5, 2019.
- ↑ 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom - Refworld .
- ↑ History Catholic Church in PNG . web.archive.org (September 23, 2005). Date of treatment March 7, 2019.
- ↑ Bahá'í Reference Library - Tablets of the Divine Plan, Pages 39-46 . reference.bahai.org. Date of treatment March 11, 2019.
- ↑ A life in pursuit of noble endeavors | Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS ) . Bahá'í World News Service (June 29, 2004). Date of treatment March 11, 2019.
- ↑ Celebrations held throughout the land | Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS ) . Bahá'í World News Service (May 8, 2004). Date of treatment March 11, 2019.
- ↑ National Spiritual Assemblies . bahai-library.com. Date of treatment March 11, 2019.
- ↑ East Asia / Southeast Asia :: Papua New Guinea - The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency . www.cia.gov. Date of treatment March 11, 2019.
- ↑ Most Baha'i Nations (2005) | QuickLists | The Association of Religion Data Archives . www.thearda.com. Date of treatment March 11, 2019.
- ↑ Papua New Guinea Baha'i Community . Date of treatment March 13, 2019. Archived on May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Sharon. From around the world, Baha'i women converge on Beijing . www.onecountry.org (December 30, 2013). Date of treatment March 13, 2019.
- ↑ GULL Officers | Elders - Margaret Elias . Date of treatment March 13, 2019. Archived June 22, 2013.
- ↑ A special place in the rose garden | Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS ) . Bahá'í World News Service (August 18, 2004). Date of treatment March 13, 2019.
- ↑ Growing numbers convert to Islam in PNG - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) . mobile.abc.net.au. Date of treatment March 13, 2019.
- ↑ Scott Flower. The Growing Muslim Minority Community in Papua New Guinea // Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. - Vol. 32 , iss. 3 . - P. 359–371 . - ISSN 1360-2004 .
- ↑ Marty Zelenietz, Shirley Lindenbaum. Sorcery and Social Change in Melanesia. - Adelaide: Department of Anthropology, University of Adelaide, 1981. - S. 66. - 136 p. - (Social analysis).