Nearly 70% of the world's population live in countries in which there are severe restrictions on religious freedom, according to a monumental new study by the Pew Forum. The study attempts to quantify elements of "restriction" from both government and societal pressures, concluding that the most oppressive countries would be those heavy in both. (Check out this chart for the status of the 25 most populous countries.)
The highest overall levels of restrictions are found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran, where both the government and society at large impose numerous limits on religious beliefs and practices. But government policies and social hostilities do not always move in tandem. Vietnam and China, for instance, have high government restrictions on religion but are in the moderate or low range when it comes to social hostilities. Nigeria and Bangladesh follow the opposite pattern: high in social hostilities but moderate in terms of government actions.
…when both measures are taken into account…Brazil, Japan, the United States, Italy, South Africa and the United Kingdom have the least.
On a highly peripheral note, I haven't read the entire report (pdf) yet, but am wondering: what counts as a restriction from government in their analysis? No doubt, there are Americans who believe the government is acting to restrict their religion by, for example, refusing Ten Commandment displays at the county courthouse, or not allowing teachers to lead their classrooms in prayer. I would count those measures though as ensuring freedom not restricting it. And there are many other examples that might fall on an even blurrier point on that scale. Will read curiously to see how the report defines "restrictions" in those areas that may be perceived differently from different perspectives. I'm confident though that level of detail is only one of tiny impact – if that – to the study as a whole, which is an impressive and helpful achievement. If you read anything interesting in the Methodology, drop me a line.
