Thursday, June 2, 2016

Religion

Image result for voodoo togoThe nation of Togo has no official religion. Religion in Togo still largely remains true to its ancient voodoo beliefs. A majority (51%) practice this ancestor worship while 20% profess to be Muslims and 19% profess to be Christians. Voodoo is the belief that spirits and demons exist even if one cannot see them with the naked eye. They attempt to appease these spirits and will perform many rituals and ceremonies to keep them away to keep them happy.


Image result for christians togoChristianity was introduced to Togo as a result of the anti-slavery movement in 1830 with the establishment of the German Catholic Mission station. Roman Catholic is still the dominant denomination of Christianity in Togo. Over half of the population in Togo is under the age of 19 so the ministry in Togo is largely directed at youth. Many missionaries lead youth oriented programs and camps.

Islam is spreading in Togo. Tribes first came in contact with Islam from the salt and gold trade routes that came through the local area in the 1700s. The Muslims try to live peacefully with members of other faiths and have done so successfully in Togo thus far. Muslims are well accepted in society despite their minority status and serve in leadership roles in government. It is also not unheard of a leader converting to the faith while in office. They have several schools established and they place a high value on education.

Even those who practice religions other than the traditional Voodoo can often be seen incorporating aspects of Voodoo into their new religion. This can be difficult for Christian missionaries, for example, to help the Togolese to understand that they need to place their full and complete faith in Jesus and not in their sacrifices to spirits. Christian missionaries say that conversion is slow but the grounds are ripe and the Holy Spirit is moving in the nation of Togo and it is an exciting time to be a part of the changes that are taking place there.
Image result for christianity in togo

Sources:
http://www.fbnc.net/togo/religion.html
http://www.factrover.com/people/Togo_people.html
http://www.operationworld.org/togo
https://joshuaproject.net/countries/TO

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