BREAKING THROUGH INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY

•Australia•Brazil•China•Denmark•Finland•France•Ghana•India

•Japan•Mexico•South Africa•South Korea•Spain•Sweden•United Kingdom•United States

Religion Information

Australia

Population: over 21 million Language: English 78.5%, Chinese 2.5%,

Italian 1.6%, Greek 1.3%, Arabic 1.2%, Vietnamese 1%, other 8.2%

Religion: Catholic 25.8%, Anglican 18.7%, other Christian 7.9%, Buddhist 2.1%, Muslim 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 11.3%, none 18.7%

Brazil

Population: Over 190 Million Religion: Language: Portuguese (official); Spanish,

English, French Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%,

Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4%

China

Population: over 1.3 million Language: Standard Chinese or Mandarin

and other dialects Religion: Daoist, Buddhist, Christian 3-

4%, Muslim 1-2%; officially an atheist country

Denmark

Population: over 5.5 million Language: Danish, Faroese, English

(predominant second language) Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 95%,

Muslim 2%

Finland

Population: over 5 million Languages: Finnish (official), Swedish

(official) Religion: Lutheran Church of Finland

82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, none 15.1%

France

Population: over 64 million Language: French (official) Religion: Roman catholic 88%, Muslim 5-

10%, Protestant: 2%

Ghana

Population: over 23 million Languages: English (official), Asante

14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%,

Religion: Christian 68.8%, Muslim 15.9%

India

Population: Over 1.2 million Language: Hindi 41%, % Religion: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%,

Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%

Japan

Population: over 127 million Language: Japanese (official) Religion: Shinto and Buddhism

Mexico

Population: Over 111 Million language: Spanish Religion: Roman Catholic 76.5%,

Protestant 6%, other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1%.

South Africa

Population: over 49 million Language: IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%,

Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9

Religion: Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%

South Korea

Population: over 48 million Lanuage: Korean (official) Religion: Buddhism 27.3%, Christianity

25.3%

Spain

Population: over 40 million Language: Castilian Spanish (official) Religion: Roman Catholic 94%

Sweden

Population: over 9 million Language: Swedish Religion: lutheran 87%

United Kingdom

Population: over 59 million Languages: English, Welsh, Irish, Gaelic,

Scottish Gaelic Religion: Christianity, and others

United States

Population: over 300 Million People language: English (unoffical) Religion: Protestant 51.3%, Roman

Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4%

Religion Information

Many countries have different religious observance that are critical for you to know in order to relate and build a relationship with that student.

Muslim Buddhism Hindu

Muslim

There are five Pillars which are followed A) Shahadah - declaration of faith in the oneness of God and

that Muhammad is the last prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five times a day. C) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. D) Poor-due "tax" - 2.5% of one's savings given to the needy at

the end of each year. E) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and

financially able. Holidays:

Ramadan- month long, begins Oct. 16, 2004 Eid al-Fitr- Festival of Breaking the Fast Hijra- week long; begins 1 Muharram Eid al-Adha- Festival of Sacrifice

Foods: Do not eat Pork

Buddhism

Beliefs: Ultimate reality: None. Nothing is permanent. Human nature: There is no self or soul. Human existence is

nothing more than a combination of five impermanent components.

Purpose of life: Theravada - Become an arhat, escape the cycle of rebirth, and attain nirvana. Mahayana - Become a boddhisatva then help others attain enlightenment.

Afterlife: Rebirth or nirvana. Nirvana is seen simply as the cessation of suffering by some and as a heavenly paradise by others

Holidays: Vary by region, but often include Buddha's birthday, Buddha's enlightenment, lunar quarters

Foods: most prefer vegetarian foods, but they will eat anything that they are given, so remember respect and make sure you have vegetarian food for them.

Hindu

Beliefs: ultimate reality: Brahman human nature in bondage to

ignorance and illusion, but able to escape purpose of life: to attain liberation (moksa) from the cycle of

reincarnation how to live order life according to the dharma Afterlife: if karma unresolved, soul is born into a new body; if

karma resolved, attain moksa (liberation) Holidays:

Mahashivarati- (mid-February) Holi- (Spring) Ramnavami (late March) Dusserah (early November) Diwali (mid-November)

Foods: Their religion states that they are not to kill or eat any living creature.