Religion in Namibia
More than 90 percent of Namibian citizens identify themselves as Christian.[1] The largest Christian group is the Lutheran church, which is split into three churches: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), which grew out of the work of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission which began in 1870 among the Ovambo and Kavango people; he Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), which grew out of the work of the Rhenish Missionary Society from Germany which began working in the area in 1842; and the German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Naimibia-German Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCIN-GELC). In 2007 the three churches established the United Church Council of the Lutheran Churches in Namibia, with the ultimate aim to become one church.[2] The second largest christian denomination is Roman Catholicism, while smaller numbers are affiliated with the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).[1] There are also a number of Zionist churches (a mixture of traditional African beliefs and Pentecostal Christianity), especially in urban areas.[1] The Dutch Reformed Church of Namibia is predominantly made up of members of the Afrikaner ethnic group.[1] The Himba and San ethnic groups comprise less than 1 percent and 3 percent respectively, practice indigenous religions.[1] Other religions that are practiced in the country include Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and the Baha'i Faith.[1] Practitioners of these religious groups are predominantly immigrants, descendants of immigrants, or recent converts.[1] They reside primarily in urban areas.[1] There are few atheists in the country.[1] Muslims in Namibia are almost exclusively Sunni.[1] The total number of Muslims in the country is in dispute, ranging between less than 1%[1] to 3% [3]
Foreign missionary groups operate in the country.[1]
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice.[1] The US government received no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice in 2007.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Namibia. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (September 14, 2007). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/namibia/evangelical-lutheran-church-in-the-republic-of-namibia.html
- ^ IslamOnline.net- News
