Germany
GERMANY
A. THE COUNTRY
The Federal Republic of Germany is in the centre of Europe and plays a
central role in European affairs. Government is very stable and a
strong democracy. It is one of the world’s strongest economies and
industrial producers, with a massive trade surplus. Germany is
recognized as a scientific and technological leader in several fields.
Since the 1986 unification of east and west, the eastern part remains
poor, characterized by high unemployment, economic malaise, continued
emigration, social and spiritual emptiness and growing racism directed
toward immigrant minorities.
B. THE PEOPLE
The population is ~82,057,000 and the official language German.
~88.3% are Germanic, ~5.9% Other European, ~5.8% All Others. Up to 19%
of residents are from German communities elsewhere or from other
ethnicities. 33% of children under age five are from this “migration
background”. Mental illnesses are occurring in record number, with
suicide being the second-largest killer of 15-29 year olds.
C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM
There is an increase of New Age, the occult, Satanism and other
religions. Evangelicals are holding their own and are much more
prominent than ever before in media and politics. Church attendance is
down across the board, falling to ~11% for Catholics and ~4% for
Lutherans (Germany’s established, while not state churches). These
churches collaborate with government in religious education, media and
such and benefit from state-levied taxation on their behalf.
Thousands are formally disaffiliating in order to avoid the church tax
of 8-9% of their income tax, and many churches are closing.
~64.25% claim to be Christian, ~30.51% Non-religious, ~4.4% Muslim,
~0.27% Buddhist, ~0.25% Jewish, ~0.18% Other, ~0.09% Hindu, ~0.03% Sikh,
~0.02% Baha’i. In the Christian category:
~31.55% are Protestants, ~30.63% Catholics, ~1.87% Orthodox, ~0.8%
Independent, ~0.04% Anglican, ~0.03% Unaffiliated, ~0.5% are groups
originating in western society that are considered “marginal”.
Evangelicals represent ~2.1% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~1.1% and of those 0.3% are Pentecostals.’
Donna Siemens
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org
Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.