schwarz2

Religion      


 *   The Churches are very important landmarks in Bolivia (6).    
 *  The squares often located in front of the church form a meeting place and trading center.

<span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-SIZE: 140%; COLOR: #7cff00; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia, serif; TEXT-ALIGN: left">**When the Spanish arrived in Bolivia, they brought the Roman Catholic religion with them, and today 95% of the population are Catholic" (2). In Bolivia, there still are many indigenous communities. Therefore, religion as a whole is a mixture of Catholic and indigenous beliefs. The Bolivians say that "they have one foot in the church and one foot in tradition" (2). Throughout Bolivian history, the Bolivian church has always been viewed as powerful. In fact, the Bolivian church is in most cases used to advocate human rights. "In 1980, Archbishop Jorge Manrique of La Paz opened an office to help political prisoners, and a Catholic newspaper was banned" (2). Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, and Jehovah's witnesses make up 1.4% of the population that follows Protestant faith (2).**