Jamaica - Religion

Religion

Christianity is the largest religion practised in Jamaica and according to the 2001 census, the country's largest denominations are the Church of God of Prophecy (24% of the population), Seventh-day Adventist Church (11%), Pentecostal (10%), Baptist (7%), Anglican (4%), Roman Catholic (2%), United Church (2%), Methodist (2%), Moravian (1%) and Plymouth Brethren (1%) The Christian faith gained acceptance as British Christian abolitionists and Baptist missionaries joined educated former slaves in the struggle against slavery.

The Rastafari movement had 24,000 adherents, according to the 2001 census. Other religions in Jamaica include Jehovah's Witnesses (2% population), the Bahá'í faith, which counts perhaps 8,000 adherents and 21 Local Spiritual Assemblies, Buddhism, and Hinduism. There is a small population of Jews, about 200, who describe themselves as Liberal-Conservative. The first Jews in Jamaica trace their roots back to early 15th century Spain and Portugal. Other small groups include Muslims, who claim 5,000 adherents, as do the Mormons. These numbers reflect the fact that general Jamaican culture does not lend itself much to fundamentalist approaches to religion and life.

Read more about this topic:  Jamaica

Famous quotes containing the word religion:

    “‘Tis probable Religion after this
    Came next in order; which they could not miss.
    How could the Dutch but be converted, when
    The Apostles were so many fishermen?
    Besides the waters of themselves did rise,
    And, as their land, so them did re-baptize.”
    —Andrew Marvell (1621–1678)

    “As, therefore, we can have no dependence upon morality without religion;Mso, on the other hand, there is nothing better to be expected from religion without morality;Mnevertheless, ‘tis no prodigy to see a man whose real moral character stands very low, who yet entertains the highest notion of himself, in the light of a religious man.”
    —Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)

    “The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude.”
    —Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)