|
Religion in Trinidad and Tobago
Religion in Trinidad and Tobago (2011 census)[1] Christianity (55.2%) Hinduism (18.2%) Islam (5.0%) Trinidad Orisha (0.9%) Rastafari (0.3%) Not Stated (11.1%) None (2.2%) Other (7.1%)
Religion in Trinidad and Tobago, which is a multi-religious country, is classifiable as follows: According to the 2011 census, the largest religious group was Christianity, with 55.2 percent of the population. This included Protestant Christians (with Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Evangelicalism Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Shouter or Spiritual Baptists, and other Baptists) as well as Roman Catholics. Hindus accounted for 18.2 percent; Muslims for 5.0 percent. There was an Afro-Caribbean syncretic faith, the Orisha faith (formerly called Shangos), with 0.9 percent, and Rastafaris with 0.3 percent. The "Other Religions" category accounted for 7.0 percent, and "None/not shared" for 13.3.[2] The fastest-growing groups were a host of American-style Evangelical and fundamentalist churches thought of as Pentecostal by Trinidadians. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the largest form of Mormonism) had also expanded its presence in the country in the 1980s and 1990s.[3] It reported 3,524 members in 9 congregations in 2019.[4] According to the 2011 Census, 33.4% of the population was Protestant (including 12.0% Pentecostal, 5.7% Anglican, 4.1% Seventh-day Adventist, 2.5% Presbyterian or Congregational, 1.2% Baptist, and 0.1% Methodist), 21.6% Roman Catholic, 18.2% Hindu and 5.0% Muslim. A small number of individuals subscribed to traditional Caribbean religions with African roots, such as the Spiritual Baptists (sometimes called Shouter Baptists) (5.7%) and Orisha devotees (0.1%). Smaller groups included Jehovah's Witnesses (1.5%) and the "unaffiliated" (2.2%). There is also a small Buddhist community.[5] Afro-Caribbean syncretic groups
Baháʼí FaithThe Baháʼí Faith in Trinidad and Tobago begins with a mention by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, in 1916 as the Caribbean was among the places Baháʼís should take the religion to.[6] The first Baháʼí to visit came in 1927[7] while pioneers arrived by 1956[8] and the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1957[9] In 1971 the first Baháʼí National Spiritual Assembly was elected.[10] A count of the community then noted 27 assemblies with Baháʼís living in 77 locations.[11] Since then Baháʼís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community and in 2005/10 various sources report near 1.2% of the country,[12] about 10[13]–16,000[14] citizens, are Baháʼís. Hindu groups
Source:[15] Islamic groups
Jewish groupsThe introduction of Judaism in Trinidad and Tobago dates back to the 17th century, when several Jewish merchants from Suriname settled on the islands in the 1660s, during the time when they were still under Spanish control. By the 1790s, after the islands had passed into British control, there were no records of the Jewish community remaining.[16] In the 19th century, a small number of Sephardic Jewish families from Curaçao settled in Trinidad but left no trace of an organized community.[17] In the late 1930s, an estimated 600 East European Jews settled in Trinidad, mainly in Port of Spain, escaping the growth of Nazism in Europe. The settlers established synagogues in rented houses in the capital and consecrated a Jewish cemetery. After World War II, the majority of Trinidadian Jews migrated to the United States, Israel, and Canada. In 2007, an estimated 55 Jews lived in Trinidad and Tobago.[18] The Caribbean Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church recognizes 620 churches holding a membership of 236, 257 Adventists in Trinidad and Tobago, as of October 3, 2016.[19] Because Seventh-day Adventists consider spiritual well-being to be holistic, there are notable contributions to the healthcare system, such as the Community Hospital of Seventh-day Adventists in Port of Spain, Trinidad.[20] The University of the Southern Caribbean (formerly Caribbean Union College) is a Seventh-day Adventist educational facility providing Christian education to undergraduate and graduate students on the island of Trinidad.[21] Freedom of religionThe constitution of Trinidad and Tobago establishes the freedom of religion and prohibits religious discrimination. An anti-blasphemy law is part of the legal code but is not enforced.[22] Religious groups must register with the government in order to be able to perform marriages, sponsor missionaries, or accept tax-exempt donations.[22] Voluntary religious instruction is available as part of the public school curriculum. The government subsidizes religious private schools affiliated with Christian, Muslim, and Hindu groups.[22] In 2017, Trinidad and Tobago set a uniform minimum marriage age of 18 years. Previously, different age limits were enforced for different religious groups. While many organizations (and particularly religiously affiliated women's organizations) welcomed this change, some religious organizations such as the orthodox Hindu organization Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha stated that they would oppose the law on the grounds that it infringes on religious freedom and their view that girls 16-17 who are pregnant should be able to marry the father of their child.[23] The government of Trinidad and Tobago hosts the Inter-Religious Organization, an interfaith coordinating committee with representatives from 25 religious groups, including Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Orisha and Baháʼí groups. Chaplains from the various religious denominations present in Trinidad Tobago are able to provide religious services to inmates in prisons.[22] The Government of Trinidad and Tobago provides substantial subventions to religious groups. In 2003 the government provided TT$ 420,750 to religious groups.[24] In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.[25] See alsoReferences
|
