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Nicaraguan
Religion
Freedom as well as
Tolerance
Religious freedom as well as tolerance is promoted by the Nicaraguan
government and forms part of the constitution. The Government
strives to protect the right of freedom of religion and will not
tolerate those who discriminate against others on the basis of their
ideology or beliefs.
Over 90% of Nicaragua's population is member of Christian
denominations. Approximately 73% of Nicaraguans follow the Roman
Catholic religion with about 15% attending evangelical churches,
around 2% are part of the Moravian Church and some 0.1 percent is
joined to the Episcopal Church. A further 2% belong to a variety of
religious groups including Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and Amish or
Mennonite communities.
Along the Atlantic Coast there appears to be a larger following of
the Protestant churches. A very small percentage of Nicaraguans
practice other forms of religion. The Jewish community is limited to
just a few and the small Muslim group are mostly made up of alien
residents as well as immigrants who are now naturalized Nicaraguans.
The Church of Scientology and Bahai'i Faith followers are in the
minority.
Moravians and Episcopalians are mostly centered along the Atlantic
coast with Catholicism and evangelical denominations being
concentrated in the central and Pacific areas of Nicaragua. Religion
is often associated with particular ethnic groups. Great expansion
has been noted amongst the evangelical churches particularly in
rural area. These church groups even run two private universities in
Nicaragua.
The Moravian Church
Established in eastern Nicaragua in the late nineteenth century, it
is the dominant faith among the non-Hispanic population of the
region. Virtually all Miskito are Moravians, as are many Creoles,
Sumu, and Rama. Moravian pastors play a prominent leadership role in
Miskito communities. The Nicaraguan Baptists are related to the
American Baptist Church, which began missionary work in 1917. The
Nicaraguan Baptist Church's membership is concentrated in the
Pacific region and is heavily middle class.
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