Pew Survey: Sub-Saharan Africans more religious than people in the United States

A recent Pew survey showed recently that sub-Saharan Africa is among the most religious places in the world; and its least religious nation is more religious than the United States–which is among the most religious of the advanced industrial countries.

The survey was conducted in 19 countries namely Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The countries were chosen for being the most populous and for their different colonial histories, languages and religions.

The data was collected through more than 25,000 face-to-face interviews in more than 60 languages/dialects from December 2008 to April 2009.

The two dominant religions are Christianity and Islam, and unlike the United States and Europe (where many have no religion) the vast majority is religiously affiliated.  However, they overlap traditional African beliefs and practices with faith.

Large numbers of Africans, whether Christian or Muslim, also believe in witchcraft, evil spirits, sacrifices to ancestors, traditional religious healers and reincarnation among others.

The survey also showed that Christianity and Islam coexist together, and they often view each other as tolerant and honest.

They attribute the peaceful coexistence to their governments which treat both religions fairly.

Some 40 percent of Christians however consider Muslims to be violent, while Muslims assess Christians more positively.

Most respondents favor democracy and religious freedom.  However, Muslims and Christians would both like a government based on either the Bible or sharia law.

Many Muslims also advocate the imposition of severe punishments like stoning people who commit adultery.

The survey also showed that:

• Most respondents rank unemployment, crime and corruption as bigger problems than religious conflict–except in areas like Nigeria and Rwanda where religious conflict is a major problem.
• Many respondents are concerned about religious extremism, even in their own faith. Muslims are more concerned about Muslim extremism than about Christian extremism; and Christians in four countries say they are more concerned about Christian extremism than about Muslim extremism.
• Neither Christianity nor Islam is growing significantly in sub-Saharan Africa at the expense of the other.  There is virtually no religious switching between the two.
• At least half of all Christians in every country surveyed expect that Jesus will return to earth in their lifetime, while roughly 30 percent or more of Muslims expect to live to see the re-establishment of the caliphate, the golden age of Islamic rule.
• In most countries, more than half of Christians believe in the prosperity gospel – that God will grant wealth and good health to people who have enough faith.
• By comparison with people in many other regions of the world, sub-Saharan Africans are much more optimistic that their lives will change for the better.