ââåencountering the Divine Mother in Hindu and Christian Hymnsã¢â❠Religion and the Arts

At first sight these two conditions seem to exist somewhat contradictory but Soekarno, Republic of indonesia's first president, resolved this issue by hypothesizing that every religion (including 'soft polytheistic' Hinduism) essentially has 1 highest Supreme Being to which i subjects oneself.

Although Indonesia is not an Islamic state, Islamic principles do influence political conclusion making. Moreover, certain hardcore Muslim groups take been able to influence political and judicial determination making through (the threat of) violence.

One peculiarity of the Indonesian regime's opinion on (freedom of) religion is that it recognizes six official religions only (namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism). Every Indonesian is required to embrace one of these religions every bit it is mandatory personal data that is mentioned in official documents such as passports and other identification cards.

Atheism is non an option and constitutes a socially unacceptable ideology in Indonesia (nonetheless there is no law that bans disbelief). In contempo years it has happened that Indonesians who published atheist worldviews on social networks were threatened by their local community and arrested past the police on charges of blasphemy; charges that tin can atomic number 82 to imprisonment.

Composition of Republic of indonesia's Half dozen Official Religions

	Percent share (of total population)	Absolute numbers       (in millions)
Muslim	87.2	207.2
Protestant	half dozen.ix	xvi.five
Catholic	ii.ix	6.ix
Hindu	1.7	4.0
Buddhist	0.7	1.vii
Confucian	0.05	0.1

^{Source: Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik), Population Demography 2010}

Information technology should be emphasized, however, that the Indonesian followers of higher up-mentioned religions practice not class coherent groups. For example, there are many strict Muslims who focus on the mosque, scripture and ritual and therefore Islam plays an important role in their daily activities and lives. However, at that place are also many moderate or cultural Muslims in Indonesia who are Muslim according to their identity cards and who identify with the Muslim culture due to their family unit groundwork but who rarely pray, rarely visit the mosque, and rarely read the Quran. The same distinction can exist found in the other religions.

Although not acknowledged by the government there also still exist forms of animism in several parts of Indonesia. Various varieties of animism were already good in the region before the arrival of Hinduism (Hinduism arrived in the archipelago through a merchandise network stretching from China to Republic of india in the first century of the Common Era). Still, over the grade of centuries these animist streams have blended with the mainstream monotheistic religions (and Sufi Islam), resulting in several specific local belief-systems such as Kejawen in Java and Kaharingan in Kalimantan (adept by Dayaks). In order to comply with the Pancasila (which stipulates "the belief in the one and only God"), animists tend to be classified as Hindus considering this religion is more flexible to blot these streams.

Religions & Violence

Unfortunately, religion has also been the crusade of much violence throughout the history of Republic of indonesia. Regarding Indonesia's recent history, one important turning bespeak tin can be discerned. Later on the fall of president Suharto's New Order regime (which was marked past a strong cardinal government and a weak civil club) radical Islamic voices and violent (terrorist) acts - previously largely suppressed by the government - found their mode to the surface in the form of flop attacks and other threats.

In the era of Reformation, Indonesian media have reported frequently about attacks by radical Muslims on minority communities such equally the Ahmadiyya community (a stream inside Islam) or Christians. Moreover, perpetrators or instigators of such violent acts sometimes receive very brusque prison sentences simply. These issues have received international attending as several governments, organizations and media have expressed concern over the ensuring of liberty of religion in Indonesia.

Nevertheless - equally appalling equally information technology may exist - such religious violence is the exception rather than the rule and it should be stressed that, by far, the majority of the Indonesian Muslim community is highly supportive of a religious pluralist and peaceful society. For a detailed business relationship regarding violent Islamism in Indonesia visit our Radical Islam section. Lastly, information technology should exist mentioned that religious intolerance or discrimination in Indonesia besides takes not-violent forms such as the difficulty of building places of worship that are non-Islamic in areas that are mainly occupied by Muslims (and vise versa). However, any minority in any country will, most likely, have to deal with discriminatory actions, and Indonesia is no exception to this 'dominion'.

Islam in Indonesia

Past far the majority of the Indonesian population is Muslim. This does, however, not hateful that information technology constitutes a coherent group. Equally the various regions in Republic of indonesia are marked past carve up histories and therefore captivated different influences, the outcome regarding the Islamic faith has been different as well. Although a procedure of PAN-Islamization has been standing for a number of centuries up to the present, Indonesia has not lost its diversity of Islamic varieties.

In that location are currently more than 207 million Muslims living in Republic of indonesia, mostly Sunni Muslims. Trade played a crucial office in the Islamization process of Indonesia. Yet, this was not a quick and piece of cake process and was sometimes forced by the power of the sword. The process of Islamization of Republic of indonesia occurred in a series of waves involving international trade, the establishment of diverse influential Muslim Sultanates, and social movements.

Read more most Islam in Republic of indonesia

Christianity in Republic of indonesia

One clear example of the lasting affect of European influence and Dutch colonial power on Indonesian lodge is the presence of around 23 million Christians currently living in Indonesia. Christianity is the second-largest religion in Indonesia, albeit relatively small compared to the Islam. Indonesian Christianity consists of Protestantism and Catholicism, the former existence the majority. These Christian communities tend to cluster in the eastern function of Indonesia.

Although in that location have occurred some violent incidents betwixt Muslims and Christians, most notoriously the 1999-2002 Muslim-Christian conflict in the Moluccas, every bit well as the forced closure of several churches over the years, worshipers of both religions generally alive in social harmony beyond the land. Apart from the traditional (mainline) church, the charismatic movement (which - like Pentecostals - puts emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit) has a growing following in the bigger cities of Republic of indonesia.

Read more about Christianity in Republic of indonesia

Hinduism in Indonesia

Of all official religions Hinduism has the longest history in the archipelago. However, on nearly Indonesian islands this chapter in its history has been erased past time or conquest. The only exception being the island of Bali. Until the nowadays day most inhabitants of this island (known as 'island of the Gods') practice Balinese Hinduism. As well Bali's beautiful countryside and beaches, this Balinese Hinduism is a major reason for tourists to visit the island.

Earlier Hinduism and Buddhism arrived in the Archipelago, the indigenous population practiced forms of animism. Still, when Hinduism arrived in the western role of the archipelago through a trade network that stretched from China to Republic of india in the first century of the Common Era, local rulers considered this new faith as a tool that could enhance their power. By representing themselves every bit Hindu deities, they managed to grow their status.

Read more about Hinduism in Indonesia

Buddhism in Indonesia

Only 0.7 pct of the Indonesian population - or 1.7 one thousand thousand individuals - are Buddhists. Indonesia's Buddhist communities are concentrated in Riau, the Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, North Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Djakarta. The clear bulk of Indonesian Buddhists consist of the ethnic Chinese customs. In fact there are many Chinese who actually exercise Taoism and Chinese folk faith but are classified equally Buddhist every bit the Indonesia government does not recognize these streams.

The history of Buddhism and Hinduism in Indonesia is highly intertwined. In the second century of the Common Era Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia through the aforementioned trade networks that had brought Hinduism to the archipelago i century earlier. The early maritime empire of Srivijaya on Sumatra served every bit a Buddhist learning centre for Chinese monks in the seventh century. One century later the impressive Borobudur temple was built by the Sailendra dynasty in Central Java, while in the 15th century the grand Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit empire ruled a big part of the Archipelago. There are diverse sites on Sumatra and Java where you tin find Buddhist remnants from between the 2nd - 15th century. Starting from the 16th century Islam became the dominant religion on Sumatra and Java.

Confucianism in Indonesia

Like to Buddhism, not everyone will agree that Confucianism is a religion (many prefer to retrieve of it as a belief or philosophy). All the same, the Indonesian authorities acknowledges information technology as ane of the 6 state religions. It is interesting to notation that the government's stance on Confucianism has been ambiguous. Under President Soekarno it was 1 of the state religions. However, it was de-recognized by the Suharto authorities as the regime tried to restrict expressions that originated from China (including the Chinese language, celebrations, and names) in society to prevent the emergence of clashes between the native Indonesians and indigenous Chinese (although forming less than 3 percent of the Indonesian population, this Chinese minority gained a disproportionately large share in the nation's economic system). Those who practiced Confucianism therefore "inverse" their religion to Buddhism or Christianity (on their identity cards just). In 2006 the government, over again, recognized Confucianism as one of the state'south official religions.

Confucianism was brought to the Archipelago (from mainland People's republic of china), primarily past Chinese merchants and immigrants starting from the tertiary century of the Mutual Era.

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Source: https://www.indonesia-investments.com/culture/religion/item69