State Religions - Past and Present Quiz

Answer: Republic of Bhutan

Songtsen Gampo, who ruled Tibet from approximately 618-650, is credited with introducing Buddhism to the Republic of Bhutan by building two temples there. There are many types of Buddhist traditions in existence today, and the one practiced in the Republic of Bhutan is called Vajrayana Buddhism. Those who practice Vajrayana Buddhism believe they can reach enlightenment faster, perhaps in a single lifetime, by focusing on mantras and meditation with the help of an authentic teacher, a spiritual guru. As many as 75% of the people in the Republic of Bhutan follow Vajrayana Buddhism, and most of the others are followers of Hinduism. Their constitution, however, guarantees freedom of religion in spite of the fact that it is based on Buddhist beliefs.

A state religion can also be called the official or established religion. The endorsement of a state religion does NOT necessarily mean that there is no separation of church and state or that the people are forced to worship a particular religion, but it can.

Answer: Persian Empire

Zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet Zoroaster; while there is no agreement as to exactly when he lived, it is known that the ancient Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great (c. 600-530 BC), adopted Zoroastrianism as the state religion. Historians believe that Cyrus' policies of religious toleration and fair treatment of the conquered people were practiced with his religious beliefs in mind, and were definitely in line with the beliefs of Zoroastrianism concerning moral and ethical behavior, as well as a Judgement Day.

Still practiced today in areas of Iran and India, Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It is, however, no longer considered to be the official religion of a country.

Answer: Vatican City

There is no denying that throughout history the Catholic Church has been very powerful. In the early years of Christianity, the Bishop of Rome resided in the city and eventually became the church's most powerful leader. By the 9th century, his title had changed to pope, the recognized leader of the Catholic Church. Popes resided in the Lateran Palace in Rome for centuries, expanding their power and even ruling an area known as the Papal States from 756-1870. It was after the Avignon Papacy, however, that the pope mostly resided in the Apostolic Palace, which is located in what is Vatican City today. After the 1870 unification of Italy and the dissolution of the Papal States, the pope continued to live there.

Vatican City, which is completely encircled by Rome, was established by the Lateran Treaty of 1929. It is under the "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See, which is under the leadership of the Roman Catholic pope.

Answer: England

The establishment of Anglicanism, or the Church of England, dates back to the time of the Protestant Reformation. When Henry VIII could not obtain the pope's consent to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in 1534 he issued the Act of Supremacy, which broke England away from the Catholic Church and formed a new one. An attempt was made by Henry's daughter, Mary I (1553-1558), to reestablish the Roman Catholic faith in England, and after Elizabeth I's death, the Stuart kings appeared to do the same. Oliver Cromwell's government (1653-1658) also attempted religious reforms. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688, the Anglican Church was reinstated as England's state church, with the monarch as the supreme leader of the church, and the Archbishop of Canterbury as its clerical leader.

England's official religion is also an example of what is called a state church - that is, a church that was formed especially for a particular country; in England, however, it is not dictated by law to be the only allowable church. In 1688 the Act of Toleration granted freedom of worship to different Protestant denominations, and the Religious Disabilities Act, passed in 1846, abolished limitations that had been placed on other religious groups.

Answer: Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians devised a religion that was polytheistic, with numerous gods and goddess that had different functions. It was common for towns and individuals to worship different patron deities, but among all the gods, Ra was the most important. Why? As the sun god, he was viewed as the creator and the provider of all life. He was the king of the gods, governing the sky, earth, life order, and even the pharaoh. Although the stories about Ra changed somewhat over ancient Egypt's long history, the pharaohs remained the Sons of Ra, and Ra remained the source of their absolute power.

The ancient Romans also had a system of polytheistic gods; by the time of the Empire Period (27 BC-476 BC) worship of the emperor became an integral part of their beliefs. Christian and Jewish subjects who refused to worship the emperor were seen as being disloyal and persecuted.

Answer: Saudi Arabia

This is not surprising considering that the Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia in 570 AD. The cave where the Prophet received his revelation from Allah, the Cave of Hira, is located outside the city, and the Ka'bah, one of the holiest shrines in Islam, is also located there. When the Muslim people pray five times a day, they pray facing Mecca. The city of Medina, also of religious significance to the Muslim people, is located in Saudi Arabia as well.

The importance of the Islam religion is evident in Saudi Arabia today. The national flag shows the First Pillar of Islam, "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God". The government of Saudi Arabia today is considered to be an Islamic theocracy, and while there is not a law that requires the people to worship Islam, the public worship of other religions is forbidden. The Basic Law of Saudi Arabia states the country is an Arab Islamic State.

Answer: Israel

The Jewish people established themselves in the land of Canaan in ancient times, eventually making Jerusalem their capital during the reign of King David. Many times throughout their history, the Jews were exiled to other locations (Assyrian Exile and Babylonian Captivity), and their numbers in Canaan were reduced. During a period of several unsuccessful confrontations with the Roman Empire, many Jews left Canaan, which the Romans called Judea and later Palestine, and were dispersed to other locations.

After the Holocaust during WWII, the United Nations voted to create a Jewish state in Palestine, stating that all Jews could return to their homeland and enjoy immediate citizenship there. Although an estimated 76% of the people in Israel today practice Judaism, there has never been a constitutional action that has made it the state religion, and freedom of religion is allowed. There has been much discussion regarding the fact that Israel is called a Jewish state, as well as conflicts with other religious people who live there, however, Israel is still identified as a "Jewish and democratic state".

Answer: Greece

The Eastern Orthodox Church broke away from Catholicism in 1054 in the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire, after centuries of disagreements between the Eastern Orthodox patriarch and Roman Catholic pope. Eastern Orthodox Churches are autocephalous, which means that each is independent. Many times this means that the Eastern Orthodox Church is the state church, as is the case in Greece, where it is called the Church of Greece. While these churches share the same basic beliefs, they recognize the authority of different leaders.

The Greek Constitution recognizes the Greek Church as its state church, however, other religions are freely worshiped. Other examples of state Eastern Orthodox churches include the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Answer: Imperial Japan

Shintoism originated in Japan centuries ago; the exact date, however, is uncertain. There is still much discussion today regarding how the belief should be classified. Is it a religion? Or is it a way of life? Although Shintoism does not have a central authority, its adherents are bound together by the belief in nature and rituals that must be performed, either at home or public shrines. Many scholars classify it as a form of animism with its worship of the kami, spirits or deities of nature, dead ancestors, or even forces of nature that keep away evil spirits.

State Shinto was practiced in Japan beginning with the Meiji Era, from approximately 1868 until the end of World War II in 1945. Added to the traditional Shinto practices at that time was the belief in the divinity of the emperor and state control of Shinto shrines. Priests taught at schools, which required students to take trips to Shinto shrines. These additions cultivated ideas of both Japanese nationalism and national unity, which many in the United States believed led the Japanese to participate in WWII. In 1945 the Shinto Directive, issued by occupation forces in Japan, ordered the Japanese government to separate from the practice of State Shintoism, doing away with the belief that the Japanese emperor, people, and lands are superior to others. Today it is estimated that about half of the people in Japan follow Shintoism, while the majority of the rest of the people are Buddhists.

Answer: Nepal

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world and has an estimated 1.2 billion adherents worldwide today. Even though it is typically associated with India, Nepal is the only country that has ever been considered a Hindu state. It is believed that the religion was brought to Nepal centuries ago by Ne, a Hindu holy man, giving Nepal its name which means "the place protected by Ne". For at least 2,000 years, the laws of Nepal were based on Hindu law and Hinduism was the state religion. Freedom of religion was granted to others there in 1951, however, fines and jail time were imposed on those who tried to convert Nepal's citizens to other religions.

Today an estimated 81% of the people of Nepal are Hindu, however, in 2008 Hinduism was disestablished as the country's state religion and Nepal was declared a secular state. It is still, however, illegal to attempt to convert the people to other religions.