Tradition of religious diversity
- Nov 27, 2008 - comment
Various faith groups find freedom to worship
When European explorers came to Argentina in the 1500s, they sought one thing — riches. Word was spreading that Peruvian silver mines had created great wealth for South American colonists, though the rumors were not entirely true.
Not expecting to stay long, those first explorers came alone, leaving their families in Spain. Eventually a permanent settlement was established at the site of present-day Buenos Aires in 1580, and for the next 200 years, Argentina (its name comes from the Latin word for silver, argentum) was mostly occupied by these immigrants, their descendants and indigenous peoples.
Political and religious control primarily came from Spain during Argentina’s colonial period. When the country declared independence in 1816, a new wave of European immigration began, bringing people from Italy, Spain, Germany and Russia to the growing cities of Argentina.
These immigrants brought their religious traditions with them. Today, approximately 70 percent of Argentines affiliate themselves with the Roman Catholic Church. However, only a small percentage of Catholics are faithful in religious observances.
Many faiths
“The Catholicism is not a very dynamic sort here and most people who call themselves Catholic are christened in the church, married in the church and buried by the church,” said Stanley Clark Sr., a career missionary who, along with his wife, Kathleen, served 40 years in Argentina.
Evangelical missionaries came to Argentina during the late 19th and early 20th century, including the first two Baptist missionaries, Pablo Besson and Sidney Sowell. Methodist, Plymouth Brethren, Lutherans and Pentecostal groups came as well.
Argentina also has a large Jewish population, estimated at near 300,000, making it the largest Jewish population in South America.
According to the government’s Web site, there are more than 2,500 officially recognized cults and religions in Argentina “that co-exist harmoniously.”
“In Argentina there is freedom of cult and religion consecrated in the National Constitution. Religious diversity has had a long tradition that honours our country,” the Web site states.
In addition to freedom of worship, the Bible is widely available in Argentina as well. First sold and distributed through Bible societies, the Bible is now printed locally. As in other parts of the world, it is a bestseller.
This article is reprinted from the November 13, 2008, issue of The Alabama Baptist, the newspaper of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
Further Learning
Learn more about: Citizenship, Religious Liberty