Religion in Papua New Guinea

Religion in Papua New Guinea is predominantly Christian with traditional animist and ancestor worship still found in some places.

The courts and government in both theory and practice uphold a constitutional right to freedom of speech, thought, and belief.

A large majority of Papua New Guineans are Christian (96% in the 2000 census), however many combine their Christian faith with traditional indigenous beliefs and practices. [cite web | url = http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24317.htm | accessdate = 2006-03-23 | title = US Department of State "International Religious Freedom Report 2003"]

Christianity

The 2000 census percentages were as follows:

*Roman Catholic Church (27.0%)
*Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (19.5%)
*United Church (11.5%)
*Seventh-day Adventist Church (10.0%)
*Pentecostal (8.6%)
*Evangelical Alliance (5.2%)
*Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea (3.2%)
*Baptist (2.5%)
*Salvation Army (0.2%)
*Other Christian (8.0%)
*Jehovah's Witnesses (0.4%)
*Church of Christ (0.4%) [cite web | url = http://www.rtapng.com.pg/faith/rel%20png.html | accessdate = 2006-03-23 | title = History Catholic Church in PNG]

The Papua New Guinea Council of Churches members are:
*Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea
*Gutnius Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
*Union Baptist
*Roman Catholic Church
*Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea
*United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
*Salvation Army

There are also a number of parachurch organizations:

*The Summer Institute of Linguistics is a missionary institution drawing its support from conservative evangelical Protestant churches in the United States and to a lesser extent Australia; it translates the Bible into local languages and conducts extensive linguistic research.
*Young Women's Christian Association

Other religions

Minority religions include Bahá'í (perhaps 40,000), while Islam in Papua New Guinea counts approximately 1,000 to 2,000 followers [cite web | url = http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71354.htm | accessdate = 2006-03-23 | title = US Department of State "International Religious Freedom Report 2006"] , mostly of immigrant origin.

Traditional religions

Traditional religions are often animist and many have elements of ancestor worship.

ee also

* Religious life of the Korowa

References

External links

* [http://www.ispng.com Islamic Society of Papua New Guinea]
* [http://anglicanhistory.org/aus/png/ Anglican history in Papua New Guinea] - primary texts