Christianity in Nigeria: Difference between revisions
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<ref>{{cite news | author= | year=| title= Washington Post | work= The Washington Post| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59514-2005Apr16.html | first=Craig | last=Timberg | date=2005-04-17 | accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> |
<ref>{{cite news | author= | year=| title= Washington Post | work= The Washington Post| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59514-2005Apr16.html | first=Craig | last=Timberg | date=2005-04-17 | accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> |
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Cardinal [[Francis Arinze]] is a Roman Catholic Cardinal from Nigeria.<ref>{{cite news | author= | year=| title= The Guardian on Arinze | work= | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/oct/03/catholicism.religion | location=London | first=Rory | last=Carroll | date=2003-10-03 | accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> |
Cardinal [[Francis Arinze]] is a Roman Catholic Cardinal from Nigeria.<ref>{{cite news | author= | year=| title= The Guardian on Arinze | work= | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/oct/03/catholicism.religion | location=London | first=Rory | last=Carroll | date=2003-10-03 | accessdate=2010-04-30}}</ref> |
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The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations led by [[T.B. Joshua| Prophet T.B. Joshua]] is also very popular in Nigeria, its services attracting many visitors worldwide. |
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Revision as of 18:41, 8 September 2010
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Christianity is the second largest religion in Nigeria. Based on 2003 Nigerian Religious and Demographic survey, Christians comprised 48.2% of the population, with Muslims as 50.5%.[1] Other estimates put the percentage of Christians in Nigeria at 40%[2] (CIA Nigerian religious estimate 1999).Christians are dominant in the Southern and Middle belt (North- central) region in Nigeria.Nigeria has the largest Christian population compared to any country with Christians in Africa with more than 70 million persons in Nigeria belonging to the church with diverse denominations. Since the introduction of Sharia penal law in the Northern states, violence between Christians and Muslims has increased.[3] Christianity is growing fast in Nigeria and according to the 1963 census, only 35% of the population at the time were Christian as compared to close to 50% today.
The National Church of Nigeria
The National Church of Nigeria (previously known as the Nigerian Ecumenical Centre and officially known as the National Christian Centre) is the primary Christian place of worship in Nigeria.The church is located in Abuja and it is an inter-denominational church built by The Christian Association Of Nigeria.
Church of Nigeria
The ecclesiastical provinces of the Church of Nigeria are Lagos, Ibadan, Ondo, Edo, The Niger, Niger Delta, Owerri, Abuja, Kaduna and Jos.[4] Its primate is Peter Jasper Akinola.[4] The Church of Nigeria has about 17 million members. [5]
Other denominations
The Nigerian Baptist Convention has about 4 million baptized members.[6] The Archdioceses of the Roman Catholic Church are: Abuja, Benin City, Calabar, Ibadan, Jos, Kaduna, Lagos, Onitsha and Owerri. [7] It has about 19 million members in Nigeria. [8] Cardinal Francis Arinze is a Roman Catholic Cardinal from Nigeria.[9]
The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations led by Prophet T.B. Joshua is also very popular in Nigeria, its services attracting many visitors worldwide.
Jehovah's Witnesses form approximately 0.2% of the population. In 1970, 87,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were present in Nigeria,[10] which grew to more than 313,000 by 2007.[11] In 2001 the highest court of Nigeria ruled that people have the right to object against blood transfusion.[12]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has a growing presence within Nigeria. As of 2009, the church claims 93,532 members in the country[13] and has established 289 congregations.[13]
Anti-Christian violence by Muslims
Relations with Muslims have been strained, Christians have been killed by (radical) Muslims since at least 1999,[14] in March 2010, clashes erupted that pitted Muslim herders against Christian farmers near the volatile city of Jos.[15], officials estimated that 500 people were massacred in night-time raids by rampaging Muslim gangs.[16] The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) threatened to sue Nigeria for (in their words) “the mindless killing of Christians by a Muslim fundamentalist sect – Boko Haram.” from a Christian group: "For too long, the Christian Community had kept quiet, hoping that one day reason will prevail and the state chief executives will on their own compensate the victims and rebuild their demolished churches and homes." [17]
See also
References
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html
- ^ Ismene Zarifis (2002). "Human Rights Brief: Rights of Religious Minorities in Nigeria".
- ^ a b "Site of the Church of Nigeria".
- ^ "Site of the Gazette ( Colorado Springs)".
- ^ "Site of the Nigerian Baptist Convention".
- ^ "Current Dioceses in Nigeria (Catholic Hierarchy)".
- ^ Timberg, Craig (2005-04-17). "Washington Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ Carroll, Rory (2003-10-03). "The Guardian on Arinze". London. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "DER SPIEGEL 46/1972 - Dunkle Zeit". Spiegel.de. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ "2009 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide". Watchtower.org. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ a b "LDS Newsroom- country information- Nigeria". Newsroom.lds.org. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ Malkin, Michelle (2006-02-19). "Muslims Kill Christians In Nigeria". Michelle Malkin. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ "Nigeria violence: Muslim-Christian clashes kill hundreds". CSMonitor.com. 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ Clayton, Jonathan; Gledhill, Ruth (2010-03-08). "500 butchered in Nigeria killing fields". The Times. London. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "Church Leader to Sue Nigeria for Killing of Christians « News of Persecution & Suffering « International Christian Concern". Persecution.org. 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2010-05-16.