Religion in Antigua and Barbuda consists of the religious beliefs practices of people living in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as their history. The majority of the population of Antigua and Barbuda is Christian, and religious freedom is generally respected in the country, although Rastafarians face some obstacles to religious practice.
According to the 2001 census, which has the most reliable figures available, 74 percent of the population of Antigua and Barbuda is Christian. [1] The Anglican Church is the largest religious denomination, accounting for an estimated 26 percent of the population. [1] The Roman Catholic, Pentecostal churches, Moravian, Methodist and Seventh-day Adventist Church account for less than 10 percent each. [1] [2] The United Evangelical Association, an organization that includes most independent evangelical churches, claims an estimated 25 percent of the population, and Jehovah's Witnesses number more than 1,000 members. [1] The total number of non-Christians is small; they include an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 Rastafarians, more than 200 Muslims, nearly 200 Hindus, about 30 Jews, and approximately 50 members of the Baháʼí Faith. [1] There are more than 4,000 atheists or persons who do not follow a particular religion. [1] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims 161 members as of year-end 2007. [3] 7.68% of people in the Parish of Saint Peter answered "None/no religion" on the 2011 Population and Housing Census, the highest percentage in the country, while the lowest percentage in the country is in the Parish of Saint Philip, with 3.65% answering "None/no religion".[ citation needed ]
The constitution of Antigua and Barbuda establishes the freedom of religious belief in the country. Members of clergy are not allowed to run for political office. [4]
Representatives of the Rastafari community have complained that legal restrictions such as the criminalization of cannabis and mandatory vaccination policies are contrary to their religious beliefs, although the government is also reportedly working with the community to reach a compromise on these issues.
As of the year 2023, Christianity had approximately 2.6 billion adherents and is the largest-religion by population respectively. According to a PEW estimation in 2020, Christians made up to 2.6 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people. It represents nearly one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with the three largest groups of Christians being the Catholic Church, Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The largest Christian denomination is the Catholic Church, with 1.3 billion baptized members. The second largest Christian branch is either Protestantism, or the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Catholic Church in Lesotho is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Approximately 90 percent of the population are Christians, of whom half are Catholics. Muslims, members of other non-Christian religions, and atheists constitute the remaining 10 percent. Christians are scattered throughout the country, while Muslims live mainly in the northeastern part of the country. Most practitioners of Islam are of Asian origin, while the majority of Christians are the indigenous Basotho.
Religion in Greece is dominated by Christianity, in particular the Greek Orthodox Church, which is within the larger communion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It represented 90% of the total population in 2015 and is constitutionally recognized as the "prevailing religion" of Greece. Religions with smaller numbers of followers include Islam, Catholicism, Judaism, Evangelicalism, Hellenic paganism, Sikhism, and Hinduism. Also a small number of Greek atheists exist, not self-identifying as religious. Religion is key part of identity for most Greeks, with 76% of Greeks in a 2015–2017 survey saying that their nationality is defined by Christianity. According to other sources, 81.4% of Greeks identify as Orthodox Christians and 14.7% are atheists.
The constitution of Cape Verde provides for freedom of religion, and the government has generally respected this right in practice. Government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion. There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice.
Freedom of religion in Taiwan is provided for by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which is in force on Taiwan. Taiwan's progressive government generally respects freedom of religion in practice, with policies which contribute to the generally free practice of religion. Taiwan's strong human rights protections, lack of state-sanctioned discrimination, and generally high regard for freedom of religion or belief earned it a joint #1 ranking alongside The Netherlands and Belgium in the 2018 Freedom of Thought Report. Freedom House also gave Taiwan the top score for religious freedoms in 2018. Possibly the only coercion to practice a certain faith in Taiwan comes from within the family, where the choice to adopt a non-traditional faith can sometimes lead to ostracism "because they stop performing ancestor worship rites and rituals."
The Constitution of Armenia as amended in December 2005 provides for freedom of religion; however, the law places some restrictions on the religious freedom of adherents of minority religious groups, and there were some restrictions in practice. The Armenian Apostolic Church, which has formal legal status as the national church, enjoys some privileges not available to other religious groups. Some denominations reported occasional discrimination by mid- or low-level government officials but found high-level officials to be tolerant. Jehovah's Witnesses reported that judges sentenced them to longer prison terms for evasion of alternative military service than in the past, although the sentences were still within the range allowed by law. Societal attitudes toward some minority religious groups were ambivalent, and there were reports of societal discrimination directed against members of these groups.
When it comes to religion, the Ecuadorian society is relatively homogeneous, with Christianity being the primary religion. Roman Catholicism is the main Christian denomination in the country. There are also minorities of other religions.
The Constitution of Guyana provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice, except in schools where Christianity is the only religion being practised; children are asked to recite Christian prayers at least four times per day. The U.S. government could locate no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice during 2007 because it ignores the situation in public schools.
Christianity is the largest religion in Benin, with substantial populations of Muslims and adherents of traditional faiths. According to the most recent 2020 estimate, the population of Benin is 52.2% Christian, 24.6% Muslim, 17.9 Animist and 5.3% follows other faiths or has no religion.
Christianity is the largest religion in Cape Verde, with Roman Catholics having the most adherents. Different sources give varying estimates on the relative sizes of various Christian denominations. More than 94% of the population of Cape Verde is Christian, with almost 85% being Roman Catholic. About 5% of the population is Protestant. The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene. Other groups include the Church of the Nazarene, the Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, independent Baptists and various other Pentecostal and evangelical groups.
Christianity is the predominant religion in Solomon Islands, with Anglicanism being the single largest denomination.
Christianity is the dominant religioninPalau, practiced by around 89.7% of the total population as of 2015. Freedom of religion is enshrined in Palau's constitution, and both the government and general society respect this right in practice.
The predominant religion in Panama is Christianity, with Catholicism being its largest denomination. Before the arrival of Spanish missionaries, the various ethnic groups residing in the territory of modern day Panama practiced a multitude of faiths.
The Constitution of Panama provides for freedom of religion.
Religion in the Bahamas is dominated by various Christian denominations and reflects the country's diversity. Since the English colonization, most Bahamians adhere to diverse Protestant denominations with Baptist churches/Evangelicals, Pentecostalism, Adventism and Methodism being at the forefront. There is no state religion in the Bahamas, and there is generally free practice of religious beliefs.
Religion in Barbados is predominantly Christian. Religious freedom is established by law and generally enforced in practice, although some minority religious groups have complaints about government practices that interfere with their beliefs.
The predominant religion in Honduras is Christianity, representing 87% of the total population according to a 2017 estimate. The country is secular and the freedom of religion is enshrined in the nation's constitution.
The most common religion in Dominica is Christianity, with a majority of practitioners identifying as Roman Catholic. Various minority religious groups are also present on the island.
The status of religious freedom in Africa varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion, the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.
The status of religious freedom in North America varies from country to country. States can differ based on whether or not they guarantee equal treatment under law for followers of different religions, whether they establish a state religion, the extent to which religious organizations operating within the country are policed, and the extent to which religious law is used as a basis for the country's legal code.