New England Online > Culture & Society > Demographics > Religion
Religion in New England
New England is a very religious country and religious expression has become an important feature of New England's society since independence. From very early on, it was recognised that a stable faith system plays in big part in the happiness of the individual. From the King down, people were encouraged to seek a system of faith that best suited their personal philosophies and stick to it. It was also taught that criticising the beliefs of others does not help anyone, and legislation exists to make such attacks an offence.
Today, New Englanders profess many different faiths. The central tenant is not what religion a person holds, but weather or not they have any religious conviction at all. Such conviction does include atheism, as it is an avowed denial of deism. A person can hold or establish any system of faith they wish, as long as it is not likely to cause conflict with the law. Such religions can be expropriated from the protection of the constitution and persons may face prosecution.
Of New England's 3.1 million people, almost three-quarters attend ceremonies related to their faith at least once a month. Unlike most of the west, saying you belong to a faith actually means something, and goes further than attending church for a marriage and one's own funeral. Therefore, most people can be found at their religious place of worship at least once a week. Many more participate on the various committees of their group, including the group's overall governing body, religious education committee or the building and grounds committee just to name a few.
Religions
Buddhism - Buddhists make up a small, but very visible part of New England's religious community. Buddhists from all the major schools of teaching can be found. All have established small communities from migrants out of Asia that came to New England before and after independence. In recent years, the number of western converts has increased steadily. The most evocative manifestation of Buddhism in New England is the large monastery located in Madgwick in Armidale. There are 72,000 Buddhists in New England which translates to be 3% of the population.
Christianity - The second largest religion, Christianity played an extremely important role in the development of New England before independence. In the twenty-first century, the church has been racked by internal divisions between conservatives and progressives. Nevertheless, the sense of social justice within the church is strong, and many denominations have played a significant role in providing help for the needy. Christianity today has 741,600 adherents or about 26% of the population of New England.
Hinduism - The world's third largest religion, Hinduism has the smallest number of adherents of the major religions of New England. As of 2050, hindus made up exactly 1% of the population or 24,000 adherents. 99% of Hindus are Indian migrants to New England. The remainder are either locally born or come from Mauritius and Fiji.
Islam - The second smallest of the major religions in New England, Muslims make up about 1.5% or around 36,000 people. Most adherents are immigrants from south-east asia and the middle east. The overwhelming majority of New England Muslims are of Sunni extraction. As of 2050, Sunnis made up 95% of all adherents of islam. Shi'a muslims make up a further 4.9%, with the last 0.1% being those belonging to other sects. The largest mosque is the Mosque of the Lion in Uralla.
Sikhism - Sikhs have a long history in New England, with adherents having existed in New England for over one hundred years. The largest grouping of Sikhs can be found in the city of Woolgoolga, where a large Sikh temple has existed for many years. Today, Sikhs make up 2.5% of the population or 60,000 adherents, however in Woolgoolga, they make up 50% of the population, with 30,000 living in the city.
Unitarianism - The largest religion in New England, Unitarianism has played a significant role in the establishment of New England's society. With 916,800 adherents, including the King and First Minister, the church is one of the bedrocks of New England's establishment. Despite this, it is a dynamic and revolutionary force in New England, encouraging people to think of others and act in true and honest manner at all times.
Non Religious People - A significant number of New Englanders belong to no faith group at all, and are generally categorised as being Non Religious. As of 2050, non religious people made up about 20% of the population. Within this grouping of those who declare themselves to be atheists, agnostics and secular humanists. It is also assumed that unless a person states that they have a faith system, they do not have one at all, and as such, are placed here.
Others - Other smaller groupings can be found in New England. Jews and Zoroastrians are the largest of these, although neither have any more than 10,000 adherents. A number of smaller cults and movements also exist, but they are closely monitored by the government and police for dangerous behaviour.
Unrecognised Religions and Cults
Freedom of and from religion is a basic right guaranteed by the constitution. People are free to worship as they please, without fear of persecution or discrimination. That said, groups that constitute a danger to adherents or society at large may be expropriated from this protection as a religion and members can be charged if misdemeanours have taken place. Likewise, supposed religious groups that extort money from members for access to church secrets or positions in the group can have their immunity revoked, with members facing prosecution for charlatanism.
The process for a religion to be declared outside the protection of the various freedoms of religion tenants of the constitution is a complex one. This was a deliberate act to not only protect the intent of the constitution, but also to ensure no undue persecution would take place with the full legal sanction of the state. At present, the process involves four steps. First, the Royal New England Constabulary must have received a complaint that a religious group or a person within a group is acting in a manner contrary to the law. Complaints of this nature are common enough, and prosecution of individuals is the usual result. All the major religions in New England have had individual members charged and convicted of offences ranging from petty theft to physical and sexual abuse.
Second, if the police have sufficient evidence to suggest systemic breaches of the law, the Director of Public Prosecutions can bring the group before the Crown Court to impose a petition of concern, whereupon a thousand signatures are required to proceed further. Next, if enough signatures are received, the court can ask the parliament to consider setting up a commission of enquiry. If parliament agrees by a two-thirds majority vote, the commission will be set up and asked to investigate the religious group and find any evidence of wrongdoing.
Then, if the commission succeeds in finding evidence of wrongdoing by the religious group, it can recommend to the Minister of State for Home Affairs to expropriate the religious group from religious protection under the constitution. At this point the group has ninety days to appeal to the Supreme Court to hear the case, and if leave is granted, the usual appeals process can proceed. If sufficient evidence is found, the order expropriating the group can be overturned. Finally, if all avenues of appeal are exhausted, the minister may proceed with the removal of groups protected status. From that point on, the group cannot call itself a religion or religious body. Nor can it claim to be a faith or belief system. Furthermore, the group cannot act as charity, and it is required to register as a commercial entity if it wishes to continue. It is therefore subject to business tax rates on its earnings.
The entire process, which was created under the Religious Cults and Charlatans Act of 2024, has been challenged in the Supreme Court. In 2029, the court found there were sufficient checks in place to prevent abuse. The law remains current to this day, although it has now been amended several times. Charlatanism is an offence in New England that carries heavy penalties. A person convicted of charlatanic activity is stripped of the right to own or operate business and are also prohibited from working in any role that involves transaction at point of sale. They cannot sit as office bearers in any organisation, including businesses, charities or associations and are forbidden to seek political office or positions of authority in a religious group.
On three occasions, a religious group has had its status removed under the act. Two of these involved destructive cult groups that posed an imminent threat to the welfare of its members. The third was a more prominent group of some notoriety, with members in many countries. Despite its fame (or the fame of some of its members), the group was found to be acting in a charlatanic manner, and was prosecuted under the Act. The church launched a prolonged appeals process against not only the ruling, but the act itself, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Today, the group has less than fifty members in New England.
Religious Holidays
Religious holidays are far more common than the universal secular holidays. By law, a person gets eight religious holidays that he or she may take in a calendar year. The number of religious dates count into the hundreds, so with sufficient warning, a person may take a day as a religious public holiday at almost any point of the year. Again though, the seriousness of a New Englanders faith usually prevents abuse.
