Colombia's Religion

Religion today tells us a lot about a person. It often speaks volumes for the person at hand. Religion gives us a glimpse about what makes someone unique and special. This was the same for the Colombians. Pre-Colombian exchange, the Colombian natives did not really have a universal religion, it was just a religion similar to every other New World Native American tribal religion, such as worshipping multiple gods and other idols other than worshipping one universal God. 

It wasn’t until the Colombian Exchange that we could start to see a major change in religion in Colombia and the Americas. During the Colombian Exchange, the Spanish were a powerhouse if you will of Christian ideologies and beliefs. They showed great enthuiaism and energy in their missionary activities. According to one article, “The Spanish set up their missions throughout the Americas, where priests and other church leaders attempted to evangelize the Native Americans and other groups.” The article states that “Christainity had first came to the Americas with the Europeans. It was very different from today, as there was no “official” separation between the church and the state, and politics and religion were very much mized together. So when Spanish explorers such as Colombus, Ponce de Leon, or John Cabot claimed land in the name of a king, they were also claiming that land in the name for God. Roman Catholicism was the official religion of Spain, so Spanish explorers and soldiers called conquistadors sought to spread Catholicism throughout their colonies (in addition to accumulating wealth and power). 

In the colonial period, the Catholic church was created and in charge of most of the public institutions, such as teaching facilities such as schools, colleges, universities, libraries, botanical gardens, astronomical observatories, health facilities, hospitals, and jails. The official religion today of Spain is Christian Catholocism, which is estimated around 70% of the nation practices today. It actually was not until 1991 that the Colombians were granted egalitarian treatment from the government to all the religions. Before this, the Colombians faced discrimination for practicing other religions and believing in anything other than the ordinary. 

The importance of the spiritual world to the Colombians is the backbone to life itself here. Think about this, today, religion determines the way we do almost everything in our lives. How we dress, what we eat, what we say, the languages we speak, ect. For instance, a U.S citizen compared to a Syrian citizen. The U.S citizen is more than likely not a Muslim, they do not speak Arabic, or eat the same diet that an average Syrian would, and this is vice-versa. Our religion determines and shapes more about us than we actually think. Just like all religions, the beliefs are debated among people, but this is what makes religion such a unique thing. Something can be read from one person and it can be totally comprehended another way by another person. Religion is an essential key to life, as it provides a foundation and stability to many people. 

Sources:

“Religion in Colombia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Colombia.

Sawe, Benjamin Elisha. “Religious Beliefs In Colombia.” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 9 Nov. 2016, www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-colombia.html.