Religion in Colombia

The Colombian Constitution of 1991 disestablished the Roman Catholic Church, hitherto the state religion, and includes two articles providing for freedom of worship:

• Article 13 states that "all people are legally born free and equal" and are not to be subjected to discrimination because of their "sex, race, national or familial origin, language, religion, political or philosophical opinion";
• Article 19 expressly guarantees freedom of religion: "Freedom of religion is guaranteed. Every person has the right to freely profess his religion and to disseminate it individually or collectively. All religious confessions and churches are equally free before the law."

In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom.[4]

In the same year, the country was rank as the 22nd most difficulty place in the world to be a Christian.[5]

The Baháʼí Faith in Colombia begins with references to the country in Baháʼí literature as early as 1916,[8] with Baháʼís visiting as early as 1927.[9] The first Colombian joined the religion in 1929[10] and the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in Bogotá in 1944[11] with the beginning of the arrival of coordinated pioneers from the United States and achieved an independent National Spiritual Assembly in 1961.[12] By 1963 there were eleven local assemblies.[13] In the 1980s institutions were developed in Colombia that have influenced activities inside and independent of the religion in other countries: FUNDAEC[14][15] and the Ruhi Institute.[16]

The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying mostly on the World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated that Baháʼís made up 0.02% of the population in 2020;[17] local leaders estimate that they make up over 1%.[3]

The Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab is the third largest mosque in Latin America

The Mosque of Abou Bakr Alsiddq in Bogotá.

According to a 2018 study conducted Pew Research Center, the size of the Colombian Muslim population ranges from about 5,000-10,000 individuals.[18] There are a number of Islamic organizations in Colombia, including Islamic in San Andrés, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Guajira, Nariño, and Santa Marta. There are also primary and secondary Islamic schools in Bogotá and Maicao. Maicao plays host to the continent's third largest mosque, the Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.

Most Colombian Muslims are converts or of Arab descent.[19]

In 2020, Maicao became the first place in Colombia to elect a Muslim mayor;[20] the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in the city is the third largest in Latin America.

Various denominations have their own statistics:

• Seventh-day Adventist Church: 270,256 members as of June 30, 2017[21][22]
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 193,350 members (2016)[23]
• Jehovah's Witnesses: about 188,219 members (2022)[24]
• Judaism: 5,500 members[3]
• Buddhism: approximately 9,000[3]

Bogotá Latter-Day Saints Temple

Although the government does not keep official statistics on religious affiliation, a 2010 limited survey found[2]

• 70.0% Catholic
• 0.9% Charismatic Catholic
• 14.4% Evangelical Christian
• 1.6% Pentecostal
• 0.3% Charismatic Evangelicals
• 0.4% Protestant
• 2.5% Agnostic
• 2.2% Atheist
• 3.5% Theistic but no religion
• 1.3% Jehovah's Witnesses
• 0.5% Adventist
• 0.1% Muslim
• 2.2% no response

The constitution provides for freedom of religion and prohibits discrimination based on religion; there is no official state religion, but the law says the state is not atheist or agnostic.[3] All cities and towns in Colombia have a church, but there are also some temples, mosques and synagogues in the largest cities.

A Colombian-grown Taoist movement has spread significantly in recent years. In the 2000s, temples and congregations were target of a paramilitary repression whose motivations are still unclear.[25] Entire Taoist communities were massacred and leaders kidnapped.[25]

In 2008 Taoist communities organised and participated to various peaceful protests in some cities of Colombia.[26]

The National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) does not collect religious statistics, and accurate reports are difficult to obtain. However, based on various studies and a survey, about 90% of the population adheres to Christianity, the majority of which (70.9%) are Roman Catholic, while a significant minority (16.7%) adhere to Protestantism (primarily Evangelicalism). Some 4.7% of the population is atheist or agnostic, while 3.5% claim to believe in God but do not follow a specific religion. 1.8% of Colombians adhere to Jehovah's Witnesses and Adventism and less than 1% adhere to other religions, such as Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Indigenous religions, Hare Krishna movement, Rastafari movement, Eastern Orthodox Church, and spiritual studies. The remaining people either did not respond or replied that they did not know. In addition to the above statistics, 35.9% of Colombians reported that they did not practice their faith actively.[2][27][28]

While Colombia remains a mostly Roman Catholic country by baptism numbers, the 1991 Colombian constitution guarantees freedom of religion and all religious faiths and churches are equally free before the law.[29]

Some syncretic or native religious figures in the country are: The healing ghost of José Gregorio Hernández, the Purgatory souls (Animas del Purgatorio), the Lonely Soul (Anima Sola), the Powerful hand, the Black Christ of Buga, Valle del Cauca, 20 July Baby Jesus (Divine Infant Jesus), Father Marianito (beatified Mariano de Jesus Euse Hoyos 1845–1926), the fertility rites of St Isidro and local variations of syncretism from other countries, such as Santería and Maria Lionza cult.[30]

• 
  The Black Christ Icon in the Basilica of Señor de los Milagros (Buga, Valle del Cauca) is visited by thousands of people every week
• 
  Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá (16th century). Virgin de Chiquinquirá is the patroness saint of Colombia. Chiquinquirá is a major point of religious pilgrimage
• 
  Virgin of Rosary in las Lajas Cathedral
• 
  Pilgrims visit Monserrate and the "Saint Christ Fallen by the whips and nailed into the Cross" Icon in Bogotá
• 
  Virgin of Regla is the syncretic form of Yemaja