Bahamian Religion

The Bahamian Islands are comprised of 375,000 people. Of those

people over 90% claim that they are affiliated with a particular religion
(Gale 2007). The dominant religions in the Bahamas include Baptist,
Anglican, and Roman Catholic. There is no specific date as to when
these religions made there way into Bahamian society but many
speculate that they come from the founders of the country. In 1964,
Christopher Columbus, who was Roman Catholic, discovered the
Bahamian islands. Also their previous owners converted many African
slaves who descended from Britain to Baptist and Anglican religions.
This evidence shows the influences that the founders had on the
islands and still have today.
Over the years, the different religions of the Bahamas have come
to one conclusion; the religion should be a part of their daily lives. Most
Bahamians can be seen attending a church meeting on Sunday
morning. For smaller islands, they even have some pastors and fathers
come on boat to give the message or sermon for that week. The
dedication of the people to keep religion alive and thriving in this
country is like no other. They will go to great lengths to make sure that
they make time to practice their beliefs. Religion gives Bahamian
people a chance to escape their work lives and dive into themselves.
With every religion come sacred places of worship and faith
located all over the world. Unfortunately for the Bahamians, there are
no sacred places of religion located on the islands. The Bahamians are
very passionate about the upkeep of their churches. The churches of
the Bahamian Islands range from grand cathedrals to small shacks on
islands that do not have the land or resources to build a full church.
Whether or not they have a sacred place of worship does not matter to
the people of the Bahamas.
As seen throughout history, the religions of a country can often
be changed or abolished from said country if the government does not
approve. Fortunately for the Bahamas, the government has been very
approving and accepting of the religions that are practiced on the
islands. They allow for their people to have the freedom to practice
religion, which is a very powerful and sought-out right by other nations.
The Bahamians are very lucky to be able to practice their religions to
freely with no interference from the government.
Religion played a very dominant role in the founders of the
Bahamas and still plays a very dominant role in the lives of the
Bahamian people today. They have such a passion for what they
believe in and they strive to make it a part of their daily life as a
society. Religion plays a role in the country of the Bahamas today by
keeping the traditions alive that were started many years ago and also
by uniting the country as one.

Sources:
Bahamas Population. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015.
Barlas, R. (2001). Bahamas (Reference ed.). New York: Marshall
Cavendish.
Religion. (2011, June 29). Retrieved October 21, 2015.
"The Bahamas." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations. 2007. Retrieved
October 21, 2015 from
Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G22586700143.html