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Religion in Ethiopia

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A large number of religions are traditionally practiced in Ethiopia, the most numerous today being Orthodox Christianity, followed by Islam. Traditional beliefs, usually categorized as Animism, attract a decreasing number of followers.

According to the national census conducted in 2007, over 37 million people or 43.5% were reported to be Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, over 29 million or 33.9% were reported to be Muslim, just under 15,7 million, or 18.6%, were Protestant, and just under two million or 2.6% adhered to traditional beliefs.[1] Neither in the 2007 census, nor in the 1994 census, were responses reported in further detail: for example, those who identified themselves as Hindus, Jewish, Baha'i, agnostics or atheists were counted as "Other".

Year Christians Ethiopian Orthodox Protestants Catholics Muslims Animists Other
1994 61.6% 50.6% 10.1% 0.9% 32.8% 4.6% 1.0%
2007 62.8% 43.5% 18.6% 0.7% 33.9% 2.6% 0.7%
Growth 1.2% -7.1%' 8.5% -0.2% 1.1% -1.2% -0.3%
Year Christians Ethiopian Orthodox Protestants Catholics Muslims Animists Other
1994 32,689,482 26,844,932 5,366,360 478,190 17,427,387 2,444,085 531,323
2007 46,420,822 32,154,550 13,748,842 517,430 25,058,373 1,921,881 517,430
Growth 13,731,340 5,309,618 8,382,482 39,240 7,630,986 -522,204 -13,893
1994 2007 1994 2007 1994 2007 1994 2007 1994 2007 1994 2007 1994 2007
Region Christians Ethiopian Orthodox Protestants Catholics Muslims Animists Other
Addis Ababa 86.65% 83.0% 82.0% 74.7% 3.87% 7.77% 0.78% 0.48% 12.7% 16.2% 0.8%
Afar 4.4% 4.7% 3.9% 3.9% 0.4% 0.7% 0.1% 0.1% 95.6% 95.3%
Amhara 81.6% 82.7% 81.5% 82.5% 0.1% 0.2% 18.1% 17.2% 0.1%
Benishangul-Gumuz 40.6% 46.5% 34.8% 33.0% 5.8% 13.5% 44.1% 45.4% 13.1% 7.1%
Dire Dawa 36.7% 28.8% 34.5% 25.71% 1.5% 2.81% 0.7% 0.4% 63.2% 70.9% 0.1% 0.3%
File:Et gambella.png Gambela 71.35% 90.2% 24.13% 16.8% 44.01% 70.0% 3.21% 3.4% 5.15% 4.9% 10.28% 3.8% 1.1%
Harari 39.49% 30.8% 38.09% 27.1% 0.94% 3.4% 0.46% 0.3% 60.28% 69.0% 0.2%
File:Et oromo.png Oromia 49.9% 48.2% 41.3% 30.5% 8.6% 17.7% 44.3% 47.5% 4.2% 3.3% 1.1%
File:Regió Somali.svg Somali 0.9% 0.6% 98.7% 98.4% 0.3% 1.0%
SNNPR 65.4% 77.8% 27.6% 19.9% 34.8% 55.5% 3.0% 2.4% 16.7% 14.1% 15.4% 6.6% 1.5%
Tigray 95.9% 96.1% 95.5% 95.6% 0.1% 0.4% 0.4% 4.1% 4.0%

Christianity

Main article: Christianity in Ethiopia
The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, rumored to hold the original Ark of the Covenant

Ethiopia is the oldest Christian state in the world, after Armenia. Saint Frumentius of Tyre is said to have converted the King of Axum, King Ezana during the fourth century AD. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, an Oriental Orthodox Church which is the largest Christian denomination in Ethiopia (it claims that 50% of the Ethiopian population are church members) and was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, is the only pre-colonial Orthodox church in Sub-Saharan Africa. The apostle St. Matthew is said to have died in Ethiopia.[2]

According to the government's 1994 census (which the CIA World Factbook follows), 61.6% of the Ethiopian population was Christian: 50.6% of the total were Ethiopian Orthodox, 10.1% were various Protestant denominations (such as the Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso Church, and the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus), and Ethiopian Catholics constituted 0.9% of the population).[3] The U.S. State Department estimates that just over 50% of the country is Christian (40 to 45% of the population belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, about 10% are members of Christian evangelical and Pentecostal groups)[4][5] Orthodox Ethiopian Christians are predominant in the Tigray (95.6%) and Amhara (82.5%), while the majority of Protestants live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region or SNNPR (55.5% of the inhabitants) and the Oromia Region (4.8 million or 17.7%).[1] The government's most recent 2007 census, Christians constitute 62.8% of the total population, with the largest group being Ethiopian Orthodox Christians at 43.5%, followed by Protestant 18.6% (which include Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso Church and the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus) and Catholics at 0.7%. Islam is the second most followed religion, with 33.9% of the population being adherents. 2.6% of the population (mainly in the far south and southwest) follow traditional religions; other religions (Bahá'í, Judaism, etc.) make up the remaining 0.6%.[1]

Islam

Main article: Islam in Ethiopia
Mosque in Harar

According to the most recent 2007 CSA governmental data, Muslims are 33.9% of the population ,[1] up from 32.8% in 1994 (according to the census data of that year).[3][6] The U.S. State Department, however, estimates that Muslims constitute about 40-45% of the population [4][7] Most Ethiopian Muslims are Sunni, and some belong to various Sufi orders. Islam first arrived in Ethiopia in 614 with the First Migration to Abyssinia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city, is home to about 1 million Muslims.[8] While believers can be found in almost every community, Islam is most prevalent in the Somali (98.4%), Afar (95.3%) and Oromia (47.5%) Regions.[1]

Animism

An estimated 2.6% of the Ethiopian population holds traditional Animist beliefs, according to the 2007 census (down from 4.6% in the 1994 census data). The largest numbers of practitioners of traditional beliefs are in the SNNPR (about 993,000 people) and Oromia (895,000).[1][1][1]

Bahá'í Faith

Main article: Bahá'í Faith in Ethiopia

The Bahá'í Faith in Ethiopia begins after `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote letters encouraging taking the religion to Africa in 1916.[9] It is not known who the first Bahá'í was to settle in the country, but the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of the country was elected November 1934 in Addis Ababa.[10] In 1962 Ethiopia Bahá'ís had elected a National Spiritual Assembly.[11] By 1963 there were seven localities with smaller groups of Bahá'ís in the country.[12] The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated some 27,000 Bahá'ís in 2005.[13] The Ethiopian community celebrated its diamond jubile in January 2009.[14]

Religious politics

Freedom of religion is provided by the constitution of 1995, although in certain localities this practice is not always respected. There is no state religion, it is forbidden to form political parties based upon religion, and all religious groups are required to register with the government (and renew their registration once every three years). It is a crime in Ethiopia to incite one religion against another. There is some tension between members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Protestant Christians, as well as between the Ethiopian Orthodox and Muslims.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h 2007 Ethiopian census, first draft, Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (accessed 6 May 2009)
  2. ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10056b.htm
  3. ^ a b "Population and Housing Census of 1994: Religion" (accessed 6 May 2009)
  4. ^ a b Ethiopia: International Religious Freedom Report, 2007 U.S. State Department (accessed 6 May 2009)
  5. ^ Ethiopia: International Religious Freedom Report 2006 U.S. State Department (accessed 6 May 2009)
  6. ^ CIA Factbook - Ethiopia
  7. ^ Ethiopia (03/08)
  8. ^ Ethiopia: International Religious Freedom Report, 2005 U.S. State Department (accessed 6 May 2009)
  9. ^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (1991). Tablets of the Divine Plan (Paperback ed.). Wilmette, IL: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. pp. 47–59. ISBN 0877432333. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Hassall, Graham. "Ethiopia". Research notes. Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies. Retrieved 21 December 2008.
  11. ^ Rabbani, Ruhiyyih, ed. (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963. Bahá'í World Centre. p. 398. ISBN 085398350X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editorlink= ignored (|editor-link= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land. "The Bahá'í Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963". pp. 28, 55.
  13. ^ "Most Baha'i Nations (2005)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
  14. ^ "North American Bahá'í Choir in Ethiopia 2009". 2009-01. Retrieved 2009-08-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

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