Religion in Trinidad and Tobago

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Religion in Trinidad and Tobago (2011 census)[1]
Religion Percent
Christianity
  
63.4%
Hinduism
  
18.1%
None/not shared
  
13.3%
Islam
  
5.0%

Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-religious nation. The largest religious groups are the Protestant Christians (including Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodist, Evangelicals, Pentecostals), and Baptist, Roman Catholic Christians, Hindus; and Muslims Two Afro-Caribbean syncretic faiths, the Shouter or Spiritual Baptists and the Orisha faith (formerly called Shangos, a less than complimentary term) are among the fastest growing religious groups. The fastest growing groups are a host of American-style Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches usually grouped as "Pentecostal" by most Trinidadians (although this designation is often inaccurate). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has also expanded its presence in the country since the mid-1980s.

According to the 2011 Census, 33.4% of the population was Protestant (including 12.0% Pentecostal, 5.7% Anglican, 4.1% Seventh-day Adventist, 3.0% Presbyterian or Congregational, 1.2% Baptist, and .1% Methodist), 21.5% was Roman Catholic, 18.1% was Hindu, and 5.0% was 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 the Orisha (0.1%). The smaller groups were Jehovah's Witnesses (1.5 percent) and unaffiliated (2.2 percent). There are also a small, but active, Buddhist and Jewish communities on the island.[2]

Christian denominations

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Coat of arms of the Anglican diocese of Trinidad.

Afro-Caribbean syncretic groups

  • Spiritual Baptist
    • National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist
    • West Indies Spiritual Sacred Order
    • Royal Priesthood Spiritual Baptist Archdiocese of Trinidad and Tobago and the Western Hemisphere (under the Leadership of the Archbishop & Founder Addelon Braveboy, the Episkopos Bishop of all the Churches

of the Royal Priesthood.

  • King of Kings Spiritual Baptist, Faith Ministries International Church of the Royal Priesthood
  • Solomon Healing Temple, Church of the Royal Priesthood.
  • St Francis Divine Healing Temple, Church of the Royal Priesthood
  • St Philomena Mystical Court, Church of the Royal Priesthood
    • Ojubo Orisa Omolu - Ose'tura Ifa Temple of Light.
  • Santería
  • Rastafari movement
  • Nation of Islam

Hindu groups

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The Hanuman Temple at Carapichaima, near Chaguanas.

Islamic groups

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Jewish groups

  • [1] Trinidad & Tobago once had a flourishing Jewish community, but the numbers have dwindled down to approximately 55 to 100 persons. The community is largely religiously unaffiliated and consists of many prominent Trinidadians.
  • [2] : official website of the Jewish community of Trinidad & Tobago

Baha'i Faith

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The Bahá'í 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 Bahá'ís should take the religion to.[3] The first Bahá'í to visit came in 1927[4] while pioneers arrived by 1956[5] and the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1957[6] In 1971 the first Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly was elected.[7] A count of the community then noted 27 assemblies with Bahá'ís living in 77 locations.[8] Since then Bahá'ís 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,[9] about 10[10]–16,000[11] citizens, are Bahá'ís.

Government subventions

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago provides substantial subventions to religious groups. In 2003 [3] the government provided TT$ 420,750 to religious groups.

References

  1. 2011 National census. cso.gov.tt
  2. 2011 census
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