Religion
Everyday life is heavily influenced by Polynesian traditions and especially by the Christian faith; for example, all commerce and entertainment activities cease from midnight on Saturday until midnight on Sunday, and the constitution declares the Sabbath sacred forever. As of 2006 somewhat more than a third of Tongans adhered to the Methodist tradition with Catholic and Mormon populations equalling another third of the adherents. A minority of worshippers form the Free Church of Tonga. The official figures from the latest government census of 2006 show that about 98% of the population are affiliated with a Christian church or sect, with the four major church affiliations in the kingdom as follows:
- Free Wesleyans/Methodists (38,052 or 37%)
- LDS Church (Mormons) (17,109 or 17%)
- Roman Catholics (15,992 or 16%)
- Free Church of Tonga (11,599 or 11%)
Read more about this topic: Tonga
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“Those to whom God has imparted religion by feeling of the heart are very fortunate and are rightly convinced. But to those who do not have it, we can give it only by reasoning, waiting for God to give it by feeling of the heart—without which faith is only human and useless for salvation.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
“Talk to me about the truth of religion and I’ll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I’ll listen submissively. But don’t come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don’t understand.”
—C.S. (Clive Staples)
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—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)