Religion
The Lutheran Church of Norway is the state church and the vast majority remain at least nominal members. Other religions do, however, enjoy religious freedom and have prospered with immigration in recent years, particularly Islam and Roman Catholicism. Saint Olaf is the patron saint of Norway. He is regarded by some as the eternal king and has a reputation and place in history unchallenged by any other Norwegian King for the last 1000 years.
| Religion | Members | Percent | As of 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christianity | 4,115,675 | 83.6% | |
| Lutheranism | 3,911,622 | 79.4% | |
| Roman Catholicism | 83,018 | 1.6% | |
| Pentecostalism | 39,599 | 0.8% | |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 11,739 | 0.2% | |
| Methodism | 11,055 | 0.2% | |
| Baptists | 9,922 | 0.2% | |
| Orthodox Christianity | 9,894 | 0.2% | |
| Seventh-day Adventist Church | 5,066 | 0.1% | |
| Other Christianity | 33,760 | 0.6% | |
| Non-Christian religions | 133,219 | 2.7% | |
| Islam | 106,735 | 2.1% | |
| Buddhism | 14,580 | 0.2% | |
| Hinduism | 5,858 | 0.1% | |
| Sikhism | 2,975 | 0.06% | |
| Bahá'í Faith | 1,064 | 0.02% | |
| Judaism | 819 | 0.01% | |
| Other religions | 1,188 | 0.02% | |
| Non-religious and unknown | 671,411 | 13.6% | |
| Humanism | 84,481 | 1.7% | |
| Total | 4,920,305 | 100.0% |
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Norway
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“In the latter part of the seventeenth century, according to the historian of Dunstable, “Towns were directed to erect ‘a cage’ near the meeting-house, and in this all offenders against the sanctity of the Sabbath were confined.” Society has relaxed a little from its strictness, one would say, but I presume that there is not less religion than formerly. If the ligature is found to be loosened in one part, it is only drawn the tighter in another.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Intolerance respecting other people’s religion is toleration itself in comparison with intolerance respecting other people’s art.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“Disturbances in society are never more fearful than when those who are stirring up the trouble can use the pretext of religion to mask their true designs.”
—Denis Diderot (1713–1784)