In the eighteenth century Protestantism was introduced to Dominica, but it never took a firm hold there, as is evident by the small number of practitioners. Since the 1980s both Catholicism and mainstream Protestantism have lost ground to the Pentecostals, Baptists, and Seventh-day Adventists. Other groups include Muslims, Hindus, Bahais, Buddhists, Rastafarians, and folk religionists.
Religious Tolerance
Despite the heavily Roman Catholic influence, Dominica does not have an official state religion. Religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution. Prior to 1829 the British forbade Catholics to hold government jobs or have political representation, privileges reserved specifically for members of the Church of England and other Protestant sects. In1829 the Roman Catholic Relief Act gave Roman Catholics the right to hold office and to obtain government jobs.
More recently the Rastafarian movement encountered fierce opposition from both the political and social establishments. The Prohibited and Unlawful Societies Act of 1974 was passed to contain the social and political activism of the Rastafarians and the offshoot Dreads. (Unlike the Rastafarians, who had Afrocentric beliefs, the Dreads had strong Christian beliefs and were considered to be dangerous.) By 1975 the government had declared a truce, appointed a committee that met with the Dreads, and made recommendations to ameliorate the social and economic conditions on the island.
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