Religion In Vietnam
A 2010 Pew Research Center survey found that 45.3% of Viet’ practiced indigenous beliefs, while another 16.4% professed Buddhism, 8.2% were Christians, a further 0.4% were affiliated to other religions and the remaining 29.6% did not belong to any religion.
According to the Federal Statistical Office of Vietnam (FSO) report on April 1st, 2009, there are approximately 6.8 million Buddhists (7.9 percent of total population), about 5.7 million Catholic Christians (6.6%), around1.4 million Hòa Hảo (1.7%), whereas Cao Dai practitioners number about eight hundred thousand persons which is equivalent to less than one percent, and Protestants who make up a total of seven hundred thousand people or also under one percent of the population in each case except for those who follow Protestantism with more than ten million followers including most Vietnamese according to data from Census and Surveys Board in its online report in June 2009 where it states that” As many as –15,651,467 people or -18 .2% are adherents of officially registered denominations…” Nevertheless, it is widely known that over ten millions have taken refuge in Three Jewels of Buddhism but greater percentage among Vietnamese still embrace ancestor worship throughout their lives irrespective of their official religious affiliations as indicated by a national census carried out on March7-14th,2009.Among other things it was discovered by means of a study conducted in two thousand seven that four fifth’s population denies existence of God.
The country has an estimate six million Roman Catholics and fewer than one million Protestants among its Christian community which makes up about eight percent of Vietnam’s total populace.Christianity was first brought into Vietnam by Portuguese and Dutch traders during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries followed by French missionaries during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as well as American Protestant missionaries who to a lesser extent converted some of the Montagnards of south Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
The two largest Protestant denominations are the Lutheran Church of the Montagnards and the Lutheran Church of Vietnam. Reports have it that ethnic minorities constitute approximately two-thirds of Vietnamese Protestants. With about 600% growth over the last ten years, Protestantism is today considered to be Vietnam’s fastest-growing religion, although it remains a small minority in terms of numbers.
Roman Catholicism is often perceived by Vietnamese authorities as unreliable since they think that they may be plotting against them like in 1833 when some Catholics participated in a rebellion led by one Lê Văn Khôi for installing catholic emperors or coup attempt together with French colonialists that captured this country.The anti-communist stance adopted by Catholic Church has further caused further strains between it and Vietnamese government; thus only those Catholic organizations under state control are remaining after Vatican church was officially banned there.Conversely, Vatican has been trying to persuade Hanoi to establish diplomatic links with Vatican.
Vietnam also boasts other religious communities among its population. A substantial number participate in Caodaism, which is an indigenous mass movement based on Roman Catholicism. Also, Cham Bani and Sunni Islam were present among native Vietnamese but today practice is mainly confined within ethnic Cham people living in Mekong Delta – so called “the cradle of Islam” . In addition, there are approximately seventy thousand Muslims fifty thousand Hindus and small number comprising Bahia’s followers living hereabouts
Government critics argue that religious freedom is not allowed by Vietnamese government; however, this claim is refuted. It should be noted that currently all religions are equal before law and everyone has his own right to believe unless such belief has no governmental license; for instance UBCV (United Buddhist Church Of Viet Nam) founded in South Vietnam, but is now banned and replaced by corporate entity holding communist recognition.
