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- RELIGION
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Religion of Peru is an inheritance of the Spanish conquest, for this
reason, it is a mainly Catholic country (more than 75% of the
population). Since the 16th century, along with Catholicism,
expressions of the native religion, based on the cult of the Sun,
the Pachamama (Mother Earth) and elements of nature, have also been
present. Those who study religion, still can’t agree how to treat
two very different religions in a process of fusion or of parallel
beliefs. Moreover, recently many diverse churches have appeared, and
we can see that the Peruvian population is still very religious and
that the percentage of atheists and declared agnostics is very low.
For example, Peru has Protestant churches that are the fruit of the
work of North American and European missionaries. We also have
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Adventists, Buddhists, Muslims,
Hindus, and Hare Krishna. Religions have also arisen from the
present time, like the group "Israelitas del Nuevo Pacto" (Israelis
of the New Pact – which always participate in political elections),
the "Movimiento de la Nueva Era" (the Movement of the New Era –
which has the characteristic of fusion of religions, philosophy and
traditional customs) and other groups that have responded to the
needs of people to fill the spaces that the last century left
within. Religious activity in Peru is important, and for many
people, one of the "centers of energy" in the world is the city of
the Cusco.
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