Religion in Papua New Guinea

mid-1990s. The 2000 census percentages were as follows: Parachurch organizations The Summer Institute of Linguistics is a missionary institution drawing its support from conservative evangelical Protestant churches in the United States and, to a lesser extent, Australia; it translates the Bible into local languages and conducts extensive linguistic research. Young Women's Christian Association. Several Christian professional educational institutions have been opened in the country, such as Christian Leaders' Training College, Divine Word University, Pacific Adventist University and Sonoma Adventist College. ==Traditional religions==

, Iatmul people. Traditional ethnic religions are often animist, and many have elements of ancestor worship, as well as tamam witches. Religious syncretism is high, with many citizens combining their Christian faith with some traditional indigenous religious practices. These methods included corpse exposure with curation or disposal of bones, disposal of corpses in rivers, and even cannibalism. However, after their conversion to Christianity in the 1970s, the Asabano began burning or burying bone relics and commenced coffin burial in cemeteries. ==New religious movements==

Cargo cults Some cargo cults - the beliefs in a lost "Golden Age", which would be re-established when the dead ancestors returned - sprang up in Papua New Guinea during the 20th century, including the Taro Cult and the events known as the Vailala Madness in the Gulf of Papua, which, by the late 1920s, was no longer active. Makasol The Makasol (or "Wind Nation"), also known as Paliau movement, is neo-traditional Millenarianist counter-cultural religious and social movement in Papua New Guinea. Its base is in the Manus Province, a motherland of its founder, the prophet Paliau Maloat (d. 1991). He had served in the colonial police force, but became an opposition political activist, organized a movement, and had been arrested twice by the colonial authority. Later he also opposed the independent Papua governing elite. dancers in the Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, 1913.The faith of the movement focuses on a new Holy Trinity - Wing, Wang and Wong. The new counter-cultural project is based on native values: local production for use; indigenous medical practices; new versions of traditional social institutions ("men's houses" and replacing the structure of local level governments). The first Baháʼís moved (referred to as "Baháʼí pioneering") to Papua New Guinea in 1954. With local converts the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1958. The first National Spiritual Assembly was then elected in 1969. According to the census of 2000, the number of Baháʼís was less than 21,000. The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated that Baháʼís made up 0.89% of the nation in 2020 Among its more well known members are the late Margaret Elias and the late Sirus Naraqi. Margaret Elias was the daughter of the first Papua New Guinean woman on the national assembly, and the country's first woman lawyer (in the 1970s). She attended the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women and was given an award in 1995 and 2002 for her many years in the public service, particularly in the national government. She went on to support various initiatives for education. Sirus Naraqi lived and worked in Papua New Guinea from 1977 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1998, doing clinical medical work as well as teaching at the University of Papua New Guinea, where he was given an award in 1999 and had served as a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Australasia since 1985. ==Islam==

Islam in Papua New Guinea counts for more than 10,000 followers, (most of whom are Sunni) mainly as a result of a recent spike in conversions. Despite being a dominant religion in neighbouring Indonesia, adherents of Islam make up a small segment of the population. According to the 2000 census of Papua New Guinea, there are around 756 Muslims in the country, compared to 440 in 1990 census. ==Hinduism==

According to ARDA, followers of Hinduism made up 0.01% of the population in 2020 (Shaivites and Saktists). and 0.01% in 2010. ==Religious freedom==

The constitution of Papua New Guinea provides for freedom of religion and the right to practice religion freely. Religious groups are required to register with the government in order to hold property and obtain tax-exempt status. Foreign missionary groups are permitted to proselytize. Christian religious instruction in public schools is compulsory, although it is possible to opt out. It was noted in 2022 that more people are being accused of sorcery (nearly 400 per year in the highland provinces). Almost half of allegations led to physical violence or property damage. In 2023, the country scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom. ==Notable people==

• Victor Schlatter (1980–2022), former nuclear scientist, church planter, missionary, and author ==References==