Many Protestants in Latin America identify with Pentecostalism. A median of 65% of Protestants either say they belong to a church that is part of a Pentecostal denomination
(median of 47%) or personally identify as a Pentecostal Christian regardless of their denomination (median of 52%), with some overlap between the categories across 18 countries and Puerto Rico. In america, fewer than 1 / 2 of Hispanic Protestants describe on their own as Pentecostal by church denomination (29%), self-identification (42%) or both (45%). In addition, 46% of Hispanic Catholics into the U.S. and a median of 40per cent of Catholics across Latin America state they have been “charismatic” – a term utilized to describe Catholics who integrate thinking and techniques connected with Pentecostalism to their worship. 3
Immense percentages of Protestants across Latin America state they participate in thinking and methods connected with “gifts associated with the Holy Spirit,” such as for example divine recovery and exorcism. In a lot of the nations surveyed, at the least 50 % of Protestants report they own witnessed or skilled the divine recovery of a sickness or damage, as well as minimum a 3rd say they will have experienced or witnessed the devil being driven away from a individual.
Smaller but significant stocks of Catholics also report charismatic experiences. This is especially valid in components of Central America plus the Caribbean, where roughly 50 % of Catholics in El Salvador (53%), the Dominican Republic (50%), Nicaragua (49%) and Guatemala (46%) report they own witnessed or skilled a divine recovery. At the least one-in-five Catholics into the Dominican Republic (36%), Honduras (26%), Guatemala (23%), Nicaragua (23%), Venezuela (22%), Panama (21%) and Colombia (21%) state they are current for an exorcism.
The study additionally asked participants about “speaking in tongues” – a practice closely connected with Pentecostalism across the world. In a lot of the nations polled, at the least one-in-five Protestants say they individually have actually spoken in tongues, including about four-in-ten in Panama (39%) and a 3rd in Brazil (33%). In comparison, relatively few Catholics report talking in tongues, which range from 1% in Argentina, Chile and Panama to 12per cent in Guatemala.
The study additionally asked churchgoing participants how many times they see other worshipers speaking in tongues, praying for the miraculous recovery or “prophesying” (spontaneously uttering a note or “word of real information” believed in the future through the Holy Spirit). Many Latin American Protestants state that talking in tongues, praying for a healing that is miraculous prophesying are regular occurrences inside their spiritual services. less Catholics state that such actions take display during Catholic worship services, and majorities of Catholics in Uruguay (63%), Argentina (61%) and Puerto Rico (60%) report that talking in tongues, praying for the miraculous recovery and prophesying will never be section of their worship methods.
In lot of nations in Latin America, nonetheless, at minimum half of Catholics state they usually have witnessed these methods during Mass at the very least sometimes. For instance, majorities of Catholics within the Dominican Republic (77%), Honduras (61%) and Paraguay (60%) state they usually have witnessed other worshipers talking in tongues, praying for the miraculous recovery or prophesying. (For definitions of terms, begin to see the glossary.)
The Religiously Unaffiliated
Latin America’s religious landscape is being reshaped not merely by those who have switched from Catholic to Protestant churches but in addition by individuals who have quit any affiliation with prepared religion. The unaffiliated category includes people who describe on their own as atheist, agnostic or having no specific faith.
Uruguay is house towards the percentage that is largest of consistently unaffiliated grownups in Latin America (37%), roughly twice the share of unaffiliated individuals in virtually any other nation in your community. (See Religion in Uruguay.)
Across Latin America, in addition to among Hispanics in the us, most people that are unaffiliated state as atheist or agnostic that they have no particular religion rather than describing themselves. About one-in-ten or maybe more adults in Uruguay (24%), the Dominican Republic (18%), El Salvador (12%) and Chile (11%) state they will have no specific faith. In the usa, 15% of Hispanics end up in this category.
Religion in Uruguay
On numerous concerns when you look at the study, Uruguay is an outlier, far and away Latin America’s most secular nation. Completely 37% of Uruguayans say they have no specific faith or are atheist or agnostic. In no other Latin country that is american do the religiously unaffiliated make up even 20% for the populace.
Laicidad, or the separation of faith plus the state, includes a history that is long Uruguay. In 1861, the federal federal government nationalized cemeteries in the united states, breaking their affiliations with churches. Immediately after, the federal government prohibited churches from having a job in public places training or marriage that is issuing. 4 Secularization proceeded in the century that is 20th A unique constitution enshrined the separation of faith from general general public life, sources to Jesus had been taken from the parliamentary oath and spiritual sources had been fallen through the names of metropolitan areas and villages. 5
Today, Uruguay has definitely the cheapest amounts of religious dedication one of the countries polled. Less than a third of Uruguayans (28%) state that faith is essential within their life; in no other nation surveyed do less than four-in-ten individuals state this. Reasonably uruguayans that are few they pray daily (29%) or go to spiritual solutions regular (13%). In neighboring Brazil, in comparison, 61% of grownups say they pray daily, and 45% report services that are attending minimum once weekly.
Regarding social views and attitudes toward morality, Uruguay regularly sticks out for the liberalism. It’s the country that is only where a lot of the general public favors enabling same-sex couples to legally marry (62%), and where up to 50 % of grownups (54%) state that abortion should really be appropriate in most or many cases. Which is the country that is only the spot where a big part (57%) states that religious leaders need “no impact at all” in governmental things.