Religion in the Bahamas is dominated by variousChristian denominations and reflects the country's diversity.[2]
There is nostate religion inthe Bahamas, and there is generally free practice of religious beliefs; since the English colonization, most Bahamians adhere to diverseProtestant denominations withBaptist churches/Evangelicals,Pentecostalism,Adventism andMethodism being at the forefront.[3]
According to the last census in 2010, over 80% of the population identified as Christian; majorProtestant denominations includedBaptists (35%),Anglicans (14%),Pentecostals (9%),Seventh-day Adventists (4%), andMethodists (4%), while 12% wereCatholic.[3]
Other religious groups included,Greek Orthodox,Jewish,Baháʼí,Jehovah's Witness,Muslim,Rastafarian andObeah (a form ofAfrican shamanism).[3] In the past, members of the small residentGuyanese andIndian populations practicedHinduism and otherSouth Asian religions.[2]
In 2010, 90% of the population of theBahamas professesed a religion,[3] and anecdotal evidence suggests that most attend services regularly.
In the past, although many unaffiliatedProtestant congregations are almost exclusively black, most mainstream churches are integrated racially.[2]
The constitution ofthe Bahamas provides for the freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on belief. The country has no state religion, although the preamble to its constitution mentions "Christian values".[3]
Obeah is illegal in the Bahamas, punishable by a jail sentence. This law, however, is traditionally unenforced. Similarly, laws prohibiting the publication of blasphemy (with exceptions for opinions "expressed in good faith and in decent language") are also unenforced.[3]
In 2022, there were reports of difficulties for Rastafarians regarding use of marijuana for religious reasons and traditional hairstyles in schools.[3]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.