Religion in the Bahamas
Religion in the Bahamas is dominated by various Christian denominations and reflects the country's diversity.[2]
There is no
Demographics
According to the last census in 2010, over 80% of the population identified as Christian; major
Other religious groups included,
In 2010, 90% of the population of the
In the past, although many unaffiliated
Religious freedom
The constitution of the Bahamas provides for the freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on belief. The country has no state religion, although the preamble to its constitution mentions "Christian values".[3]
Obeah is illegal in the Bahamas, punishable by a jail sentence. This law, however, is traditionally unenforced. Similarly, laws prohibiting the publication of blasphemy (with exceptions for opinions "expressed in good faith and in decent language") are also unenforced.[3]
In 2022, there were reports of difficulties for Rastafarians regarding use of marijuana for religious reasons and traditional hairstyles in schools.[3]
See also
- Diocese of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands
- Hinduism in the West Indies
- Religion in Jamaica
- Religion in Trinidad and Tobago
- Roman Catholicism in the Bahamas
References
- ^ "Religions in Bahamas - PEW-GRF". www.globalreligiousfutures.org. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
- ^ a b c United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Bahamas: International Religious Freedom Report 2008. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d e f g US State Dept, 2022 report on Bahamas
Further reading
- Fahlbusch, Erwin, ed. (1999), "Bahamas", Encyclopedia of Christianity, vol. 1, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, pp. 179-180, ISBN 0802824137