Different Religions

In the Philippines we have a different religions. More than 86 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various nationalized Christian cults, and another 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations. In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous 4 percent of Muslim, the remaining 2 percent follow non-western, indigenous beliefs and practices.

The pre-Hispanic belief system of Filipinos consisted of pantheon of Gods, spirits, creatures, and men that guarded the streams, fields, trees, mountains, forests, and houses. Bathala, who created earth and man, was superior to these other gods and spirit upon this indigenous religious base two foreign religions were introduced-- Islam and Christianity and a process of cultural adaptation and synthesis began that is still evolving. Spain introduced Christianity to the Philippines (1565) with the arrival of Miguel Lopez De Legaspi. Earlier, beginning 1350, Islam had been spreading northward from Indonesia into the Philippine archipelago. By the time Spanish arrived in the 16th century. Islam was firmly established on Mindanao and Sulu and most Cebu and Luzon.

There is only one predominantly christian country in all of Asia. The Philippines is approximately 85 percent christian. The roman catholic is the oldest religion in our country. Philippines. Catholicism in the Philippines is in many ways unique to the region in which it is practiced. The way Filipinos view their relationship with Jesus is also infused by distinctly Filipino and southeast Asian cultural nations. The relationship Filipinos with Jesus is also characterized by the idea of dept and dependency. Because Filipinos believe that Jesus Sacrificed his life for them and to be saved. Filipinos believe that god and Jesus is our savior.

Pre-colonial spiritual beliefs is against in catholic beliefs. Many Filipinos in rural communities make use of healers to cure illnesses and these healers are bound up with the indigenous Filipinos. The healers work to cure illnesses that are caused by invisible small spirit being called “tawo”. the indigenous people/ pre-colonial belief is came before the Christianity.

Islam in the Philippines is comprised only of Catholics. This Muslim mainly remains in the southern islands of the Philippines and Mindanao there group called “Moro”. Muslim believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a Promo dial faith that was revealed many times before through prophets. Muhammad is the founder of Islam, is revered as “the seal of the prophets”- the last and greatest of the messengers of god.

Animism is the ancient Filipinos thought that virtually all objects had souls or were populated by this sort. Even apparently non-living objects such as lakes, mountains, rocks etc., and natural phenomena such as fire, thunder and wind. In fact, even in “organized” faiths such as Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Taoism and Hinduism these types of principles also exist. The powers of nature

-- Vergara, Carla Erika D.C