Religion is a system of faith or worship that influences the way a person thinks about, views, and interacts with the world.
A person’s religion is often the main source of their ethical and moral beliefs. For many believers, religion is a source of great comfort, perhaps even purpose.
Many different religions exist throughout the world. Although religions are often very different from one another in theology and practice, it is arguable that most of them focus on two near-universal themes: How to behave here on Earth, and what to expect when we die.
Most religions teach faith in a higher power, be it one’s own spirituality, nature, the God/YHWH/Allah of Christians, Jews, and Muslims, or the Hindu deities Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Shakti, and Surya.
World Population by Religion
About 85% of the world’s people identify with a religion. The most popular religion is Christianity, followed by an estimated 2.38 billion people worldwide.
Islam, which is practiced by more than 1.91 billion people, is second.
However, population researchers predict that Islam will have nearly caught up with Christianity by 2050.
Other religions measured and projected include Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and two umbrella categories.
The first is “folk religions”, which collect traditional African religions, Chinese folk religions, and both Native American and Australian aboriginal religions.
The second is “other religions”, a catch-all that tracks smaller faiths such as Shintoism, Taoism, Sikhism, and Jainism.
Finally, a significant number of people—nearly 1.2 billion worldwide—remain nonreligious or have Atheist beliefs.
Let’s take a look at the religious composition of the world
Below is each religion’s total estimated population for 2020:
Christianity – 2.38 billion
Islam – 1.91 billion
Hinduism – 1.16 billion
Buddhism – 507 million
Folk Religions – 430 million
Other Religions – 61 million
Judaism – 14.6 million
Unaffiliated – 1.19 billion
Italians have the Pope: Pope derives from the Greek word Pappas meaning ‘father’ and put simply, is the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, and head of state representing the Holy See.
In early Christianity, the title of Pope was applied to all bishops, bishops being elected members of the clergy who are entrusted with a position of authority.
This past summer, it seemed like Italy was back as a global soccer power with the embarrassment of missing the 2018 World Cup far in the rearview mirror.
The Azzurri won the European championship on penalties against England at Euro 2020 (played in 2021). They shot up to No. 4 on the FIFA rankings.
And despite missing out on automatic qualification to the 2022 World Cup, Italy had a relatively favorable playoff path with North Macedonia awaiting in the semifinals.
Well, Italy learned a hard lesson during the play-off, North Macedonia just made Italy miss its second straight World Cup.
Ranking the Faithful
Saudi Arabia has edged out Israel as the country perceived as the most religious, according to data from the 2022 Best Countries rankings from U.S. News, a characterization of 85 countries based on a survey of more than 17,000 global citizens.
In a country of more than 30 million people, the vast majority of Saudi Arabian citizens identify with the Sunni branch of Islam.
Yet 2 million Christians, more than 700,000 Hindus and a variety of other groups, including atheists and agnostics, also reportedly call the country home.
Saudi Arabia is home to two of Islam’s holiest cities: Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad was born, and Medina, where he is buried. Every year, during the hajj, millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca to complete the six-day pilgrimage to the Kaaba shrine.
While the hajj is required once in the lifetime of every able-bodied adult Muslim who can afford it, adherents of the faith also travel to Mecca during other times of the year to complete the shorter, voluntary umrah pilgrimage.
With all these, Saudi Arabia has not organized any fasting and prayers despite being in Group C with Argentina, Mexico, and Poland in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
After being seen as the world’s most religious country in the 2021 Best Countries rankings, Israel falls to No. 2 in 2022.
Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.
It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is considered to be a holy city for the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Bethlehem is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about 10 km (6.2 miles) south of Jerusalem.
The Hebrew Bible, which says that the city of Bethlehem was built up as a fortified city by Rehoboam, identifies it as the city David was from and where he was anointed as the king of Israel. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke identify Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus; but still, Israel and Palestine are not able to qualify for World cup tournaments.
Iran is No. 3 in terms of religiosity. They are in Group B with England, USA and Wales but they are not doing any fasting and prayers ahead of the tournament
IN AFRICA, specifically EGYPT, religion controls many aspects of social life and is endorsed by law. The country is majority Sunni Muslim (estimated to be 85-95% of the population), with the next largest religious group being Coptic Orthodox Christians (with estimates ranging from 5-15%.
The exact numbers are subject to controversy, with Christians alleging that they have been systemically under-counted in existing censuses
A highly religious country like Egypt didn’t even qualify for the World Cup
India qualified for the World Cup only once, by default in 1950 when all of its scheduled opponents withdrew.
However, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the apex body of football in India, could not send the team to play, missing a historic opportunity.
In the FIFA qualifiers India qualified by virtue of some of the national teams in the group not wanting to participate (Indonesia, Burma, and the Philippines did not compete).
The 1950 World Cup was held in Brazil. And post the 1948 Olympics had passed a rule stipulating that players must compulsorily wear shoes.
As the tournament day came nearer, the organisers noted that several teams from Europe had either opted out or stayed away due to the post-war international sanctions. There was also no team participating in Asia.
They then contacted the AIFF (All India Football Federation) offering to bear the travelling and staying costs of the Indian team.
The AIFF declined the invitation and preferred not to send the national football team. There were several reasons cited by the AIFF for not sending a team.
They said that the Indian players were not comfortable playing football wearing shoes. The lack of international match practice was another excuse of the AIFF.
Another was that the travel to Brazil, by sea then, was too long and the players will not be able to put up with the arduous voyage.
All the excuses including the one that India did not have the funds to support the team’s travel were not true.
In fact, the AIFF did not simply understand that the opportunity to participate in the FIFA World Cup would have taken football in India to another level and might have even challenged the sole monopoly that cricket enjoys at the moment.
For AIFF and the Indians at large, the Olympics was the greatest tournament on earth, they had hardly heard about the FIFA World Cup and did not the importance of participating in it.
It is only after all-round criticism that statements were made giving excuses.
India has often been thought as a place of mystics, mysteries, and magic yet they haven’t been at the world cup before.
IN BENIN – According to BBC, Voodoo is completely normal in Benin.
People across West Africa, especially Togo, Ghana and Nigeria hold similar beliefs but in Benin it is recognized as an official religion, followed by some 40% of the population.
Voodoo Day is a public holiday and there is a national Voodoo museum.
Voodoo is more than a belief system, it is a complete way of life, including culture, philosophy, language, art, dance, music and medicine.
The Voodoo spiritual world consists of Mahou, the Supreme Being and about 100 divinities – or Voodoos – who represent different phenomena, such as war and blacksmiths (Gou), illness, healing and earth (Sakpata), storms, lightning and justice (Heviosso) or water (Mami Wata).
Voodoo priests ask these gods to intervene on behalf of ordinary people but local adherents stress that they have nothing to do with sorcery or black magic.
Some Voodoo priests use herbs to cure the sick – and possibly to poison enemies.
They also sometimes ask for offerings, such as a chicken or a sheep, which is then sacrificed to the divinity, or some alcohol is poured onto the floor.
This can happen when asking for help or when you wish has been granted.
People seek help on a variety of issues – to be cured of a disease, find a job, complete a business deal, find a spouse or have a child.
Benin have not been able to utilize this to bring Sports success to the country.
The situation in Ghana
Prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the then president of the Ghana Football Association Kwesi Nyatakyi visited Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah with Steven Appiah since he belied the country’s previous two world cup success was achieved through divine by the Reverend.
According to the Reverend, Black Stars will bring the cup to Ghana.
Unfortunately, the Brazil world cup was Ghana’s worst performance taking into consideration our achievements in the previous two (2006 and 2010)
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced a planned nationwide fasting and prayers for the Black Stars ahead of their participation in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
This forms part of a series of activities to usher the senior national team into the upcoming tournament.
In a line-up issued by the local football governing body, the spiritual activity spanned two days; Friday 21st October 2022.
On Friday, Islamic prayers should be said for the team, after which Christians will also be expected to fast and intercede for the team on Sunday, October 23, 2022.
What the nation Ghana is noted for
IN 2014
Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams on Sunday led his followers, to pray for the recovery of the fast-depreciating cedis.
The Presiding Bishop and General Overseer of the Christian Action Faith Ministries (CAFM) spiritually commanded the dwindling cedi to rise
MARCH 2020
Ghanaians observed national day of fasting and prayer for protection against Coronavirus.
Both Muslims and Christians joined fast.
Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) also urged their members that they should lock up their shops to join the national fast and prayer.
IN MAY 2020
General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams climaxed the first-ever 24-hour worship and prayer chain with a national communion service.
The event – Intercede Ghana, began on Saturday, May 30, 2020, at 6 pm and ended on Sunday, May 31, 2020, at 6 pm amidst prayer and worship ministrations over the country’s issues, including the ongoing fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams fervently prayed against the virus and the deaths associated with it.
IN MARCH 2021
Some Christian clerics in Ghana organised a national prayer against same-sexual relations in the country.
The one-hour, thirty minutes prayer was organised by the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values in collaboration with the Christian Council of Ghana and other Christian bodies.
The programme tagged, ‘Homosexuality: A detestable sin to God,’ held at the Church of Pentecost Burma Camp Worship Center.
IN JANUARY 2022
President Akufo-Addo resorted to God for economic salvation as he affirms that, despite the challenges facing the country his government will not relent in efforts to improve the lives of the people.
Speaking at the opening of the 12th Biennial Conference of the Methodist Church of Ghana in Winneba in the Central Region, the President said he will continue to have abiding faith in God to help turn the fortunes of the nation around.