How Meny Religions Is Registered In Usa

At first sight these two weather condition seem to be somewhat contradictory but Soekarno, Indonesia'southward showtime president, resolved this issue by hypothesizing that every religion (including 'soft polytheistic' Hinduism) essentially has one highest Supreme Being to which ane subjects oneself.

Although Indonesia is not an Islamic state, Islamic principles practice influence political decision making. Moreover, certain hardcore Muslim groups have been able to influence political and judicial decision making through (the threat of) violence.

One peculiarity of the Indonesian government's stance on (freedom of) religion is that it recognizes six official religions only (namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism). Every Indonesian is required to cover 1 of these religions as it is mandatory personal data that is mentioned in official documents such as passports and other identification cards.

Atheism is non an option and constitutes a socially unacceptable ideology in Indonesia (however there is no law that bans atheism). In recent years information technology has happened that Indonesians who published atheist worldviews on social networks were threatened past their local customs and arrested by the police on charges of blasphemy; charges that tin lead to imprisonment.

Composition of Republic of indonesia's Half-dozen Official Religions

	Percentage share (of full population)	Absolute numbers (in millions)
Muslim	87.2	207.ii
Protestant	6.9	xvi.5
Catholic	two.9	half-dozen.nine
Hindu	1.7	iv.0
Buddhist	0.7	ane.7
Confucian	0.05	0.1

^{Source: Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik), Population Census 2010}

Information technology should be emphasized, withal, that the Indonesian followers of above-mentioned religions do non class coherent groups. For instance, there are many strict Muslims who focus on the mosque, scripture and ritual and therefore Islam plays an of import part in their daily activities and lives. However, there are also many moderate or cultural Muslims in Republic of indonesia who are Muslim according to their identity cards and who identify with the Muslim culture due to their family background only who rarely pray, rarely visit the mosque, and rarely read the Quran. The same stardom can be establish in the other religions.

Although non acknowledged by the government there also still exist forms of animism in several parts of Republic of indonesia. Various varieties of animism were already practiced in the region earlier the arrival of Hinduism (Hinduism arrived in the archipelago through a trade network stretching from China to India in the offset century of the Mutual Era). However, over the form of centuries these animist streams have blended with the mainstream monotheistic religions (and Sufi Islam), resulting in several specific local belief-systems such as Kejawen in Coffee and Kaharingan in Kalimantan (expert by Dayaks). In order to comply with the Pancasila (which stipulates "the belief in the one and but God"), animists tend to be classified as Hindus because this organized religion is more than flexible to absorb these streams.

Religions & Violence

Unfortunately, religion has also been the cause of much violence throughout the history of Indonesia. Regarding Indonesia'south contempo history, one important turning point tin can be discerned. After the fall of president Suharto's New Order authorities (which was marked by a strong central government and a weak civil society) radical Islamic voices and violent (terrorist) acts - previously largely suppressed by the government - found their fashion to the surface in the form of bomb attacks and other threats.

In the era of Reformation, Indonesian media have reported often about attacks past radical Muslims on minority communities such as the Ahmadiyya community (a stream within Islam) or Christians. Moreover, perpetrators or instigators of such fierce acts sometimes receive very curt prison sentences only. These issues have received international attention as several governments, organizations and media have expressed concern over the ensuring of freedom of religion in Indonesia.

Still - every bit appalling as it may be - such religious violence is the exception rather than the rule and it should be stressed that, by far, the majority of the Indonesian Muslim community is highly supportive of a religious pluralist and peaceful society. For a detailed account regarding violent Islamism in Indonesia visit our Radical Islam section. Lastly, it should exist mentioned that religious intolerance or discrimination in Indonesia also takes non-vehement forms such as the difficulty of edifice places of worship that are non-Islamic in areas that are mainly occupied by Muslims (and vise versa). However, any minority in any country will, near likely, take to bargain with discriminatory actions, and Republic of indonesia is no exception to this 'rule'.

Islam in Indonesia

Past far the majority of the Indonesian population is Muslim. This does, however, not hateful that information technology constitutes a coherent grouping. As the various regions in Republic of indonesia are marked by separate histories and therefore captivated dissimilar influences, the outcome regarding the Islamic faith has been different as well. Although a process of PAN-Islamization has been standing for a number of centuries upward to the nowadays, Indonesia has not lost its diversity of Islamic varieties.

There are currently more than 207 million Muslims living in Indonesia, mostly Sunni Muslims. Trade played a crucial role in the Islamization process of Indonesia. Nevertheless, this was non a quick and easy process and was sometimes forced by the ability of the sword. The process of Islamization of Indonesia occurred in a series of waves involving international trade, the establishment of various influential Muslim Sultanates, and social movements.

Christianity in Indonesia

One clear example of the lasting bear on of European influence and Dutch colonial power on Indonesian social club is the presence of effectually 23 million Christians currently living in Republic of indonesia. Christianity is the 2nd-largest religion in Indonesia, admitting relatively small compared to the Islam. Indonesian Christianity consists of Protestantism and Catholicism, the former being the majority. These Christian communities tend to cluster in the eastern part of Indonesia.

Although in that location have occurred some trigger-happy incidents between Muslims and Christians, most notoriously the 1999-2002 Muslim-Christian disharmonize in the Moluccas, as well as the forced closure of several churches over the years, worshipers of both religions by and large live in social harmony across the land. Apart from the traditional (mainline) church, the charismatic movement (which - like Pentecostals - puts emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit) has a growing following in the bigger cities of Indonesia.

Read more virtually Christianity in Republic of indonesia

Hinduism in Republic of indonesia

Of all official religions Hinduism has the longest history in the archipelago. However, on near Indonesian islands this chapter in its history has been erased by time or conquest. The only exception being the island of Bali. Until the present mean solar day nigh inhabitants of this island (known as 'isle of the Gods') do Balinese Hinduism. Likewise Bali'due south cute countryside and beaches, this Balinese Hinduism is a major reason for tourists to visit the island.

Before Hinduism and Buddhism arrived in the Archipelago, the indigenous population expert forms of animism. Even so, when Hinduism arrived in the western part of the archipelago through a trade network that stretched from China to India in the start century of the Mutual Era, local rulers considered this new religion as a tool that could enhance their power. By representing themselves as Hindu deities, they managed to grow their status.

Buddhism in Indonesia

Only 0.seven percent of the Indonesian population - or i.7 1000000 individuals - are Buddhists. Indonesia's Buddhist communities are full-bodied in Riau, the Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, North Sumatra, W Kalimantan and Djakarta. The articulate majority of Indonesian Buddhists consist of the ethnic Chinese community. In fact at that place are many Chinese who actually exercise Taoism and Chinese folk organized religion only are classified equally Buddhist equally the Republic of indonesia government does not recognize these streams.

The history of Buddhism and Hinduism in Republic of indonesia is highly intertwined. In the 2nd century of the Common Era Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia through the same trade networks that had brought Hinduism to the archipelago one century earlier. The early maritime empire of Srivijaya on Sumatra served as a Buddhist learning center for Chinese monks in the 7th century. 1 century after the impressive Borobudur temple was built by the Sailendra dynasty in Central Java, while in the 15th century the grand Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit empire ruled a big part of the Archipelago. There are diverse sites on Sumatra and Java where you lot tin find Buddhist remnants from betwixt the 2nd - 15th century. Starting from the 16th century Islam became the dominant organized religion on Sumatra and Java.

Confucianism in Republic of indonesia

Similar to Buddhism, non everyone will concord that Confucianism is a religion (many prefer to think of information technology as a belief or philosophy). However, the Indonesian government acknowledges information technology as one of the six state religions. Information technology is interesting to notation that the authorities'due south opinion on Confucianism has been ambiguous. Under President Soekarno it was one of the state religions. However, it was de-recognized by the Suharto government as the regime tried to restrict expressions that originated from China (including the Chinese language, celebrations, and names) in lodge to prevent the emergence of clashes betwixt the native Indonesians and indigenous Chinese (although forming less than 3 percent of the Indonesian population, this Chinese minority gained a unduly big share in the nation's economy). Those who adept Confucianism therefore "changed" their faith to Buddhism or Christianity (on their identity cards only). In 2006 the government, again, recognized Confucianism as one of the state'southward official religions.

Confucianism was brought to the Archipelago (from mainland Red china), primarily by Chinese merchants and immigrants starting from the tertiary century of the Mutual Era.