Religion news: churches in Qatar; FSM in the AAR

[qatarperegrine]

A Peninsula article gives more info on the building of churches in Qatar than I had previously read. Various Christian churches exist in Qatar, but thus far they have been meeting in private homes and schools. A couple years ago the emir provided land for the construction of church buildings, and it sounds like they will soon be done. Within a year or so, Qatar should boast physical Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Coptic, and Indian churches.

More interestingly, the article puts the number of Christians in Qatar at a little over 140,000. That's around 15% of the population of Qatar. Official statistics always say that Qatar is over 95% Muslim, but those stats must only take Qatari citizens into account. I often wonder what percentage are Hindu and Buddhist, given the large Asian communities living here.

In other news, a panel discussion at the American Academy of Religion's annual conference this weekend will focus on the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I heartily approve.

Comments

[dubaiwalla.livejournal.com]

but those stats must
If Qatar is anything like the UAE, it's hard to take any official statistics seriously, especially when they concern demographics, a sensitive subject. Clearly, 95% can't reflect the country as a whole (much as the government would like citizens in particular to believe otherwise). But where would the number 15% come from? Is it an educated guess? I recently saw an estimate that the UAE is 35% Christian, but that seems unlikely.

Also, what do you mean by 'Indian' church? Not having looked into it, I'd guess most Indian Christians are Catholic or Syrian Orthodox, with a sprinkling of various Protestants thrown in.

[qatar.livejournal.com]

I suspect the 15% comes from their interviews with the ministers of the five churches; I know at least the Catholic and Anglican church keep membership records. If that's the case, though, it wouldn't include the numerous house churches.

As for the Indian churches, there are about a dozen different denominations of Indian Christians here in Doha -- Mar Thomists, Syro Malabar, etc. etc. They'll all be sharing a building, except for one denomination that hates one of the other denominations so much it's decided to band with the Coptics instead. And, of course, the Anglican Church here is actually largely Indian, too.