Tolerance and Tension

Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

POLL · April 15, 2010

Cameroon

Political Map
Political Map of Cameroon
Religious Affiliation
of Survey Respondents in Cameroon
Religious Composition in Cameroon

This pie chart shows the religious breakdown of the people surveyed in Cameroon. See Appendix B for comparative estimates of the country's religious composition from some other studies and censuses.

Survey Answers of Respondents in Cameroon (by topic)

How important is religion in your life?

% responding Response Very important Response Somewhat important Response Not too / not at all imp. Response Don't know
89
7
4
0
Total Population
90
7
3
0
Among Christians
96
4
Among Muslims

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How often do you attend religious services?

% respondingResponse Attend at least weekly Response Monthly or yearly Response Seldom or never Response Don't know
70
18
12
0
Total Population
70
20
10
0
Among Christians
84
4
10
1
Among Muslims

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Do you believe in God? How certain are you in this belief?

% respondingResponse Believe, absolutely certain Response Believe, less certain Response Do not believe Response Other / No opinion
80
18
1
0
Total Population
82
17
0
0
Among Christians
78
21
1
Among Muslims

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Is the Koran / Bible the word of God? Is it to be taken literally, word for word?

% respondingResponse Literal word of God Response Word of God, not literal Response Not word of God Response Other / No opinion
NA
Total Population
77
19
3
1
Among Christians
93
6
1
0
Among Muslims

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How often do you pray?

% respondingResponse Pray daily Response Weekly or monthly Response Seldom or never Response Don't know
82
14
4
0
Total Population
80
15
4
0
Among Christians
96
3
1
Among Muslims

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Do you fast for Lent or Ramadan?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't Know
NA
Total Population
61
38
0
Among Christians
100
Among Muslims

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Have you experienced or witnessed a divine healing?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't know
39
61
0
Total Population
42
58
0
Among Christians
24
76
1
Among Muslims

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Have you experienced or witnessed the devil being driven out of a person?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't know
34
65
0
Total Population
37
62
0
Among Christians
18
82
Among Muslims

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Is it necessary to believe in God to be moral and have good values?

% respondingResponse Necessary Response Not necessary Response No opinion
67
33
0
Total Population
66
33
0
Among Christians
74
26
Among Muslims

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Have Western music, movies, and television hurt morality in your country?

% respondingResponse Have hurt morality Response Have not hurt morality Response No opinion
83
15
2
Total Population
85
13
2
Among Christians
73
20
7
Among Muslims

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Is abortion morally wrong, morally acceptable, or not a moral issue?

% respondingResponse Morally wrong Response Morally acceptable or Not a moral issue ResponseDepends / No opinion
95
4
2
Total Population
95
4
2
Among Christians
95
2
2
Among Muslims

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Is homosexual behavior morally wrong, morally acceptable, or not a moral issue?

% respondingResponse Morally wrong Response Morally acceptable or Not a moral issue Response Depends / No opinion
98
2
0
Total Population
98
2
0
Among Christians
99
1
Among Muslims

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Is polygamy morally wrong, morally acceptable, or not a moral issue?

% respondingResponse Morally wrong Response Morally acceptable or Not a moral issue Response Depends / No opinion
42
55
3
Total Population
49
47
3
Among Christians
12
85
3
Among Muslims

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How much do you know about Christianity?

% respondingResponse A great deal Response Some Response Not very much or nothing Response No opinion
36
45
19
0
Total Population
43
49
8
0
Among Christians
4
26
70
1
Among Muslims

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How much do you know about Islam?

% respondingResponse A great deal Response Some Response Not very much or nothing Response No opinion
10
25
65
0
Total Population
2
21
76
0
Among Christians
47
47
5
Among Muslims

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Do Islam and Christianity have a lot in common or are they very different?

% respondingResponse A lot in common Response Very different Response No opinion
38
57
5
Total Population
34
61
5
Among Christians
58
39
3
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
50
45
5
Total Population
57
38
5
Among Christians
19
77
4
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
26
71
3
Total Population
26
72
2
Among Christians
24
68
8
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
61
30
9
Total Population
57
33
9
Among Christians
82
12
6
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
62
34
4
Total Population
62
35
3
Among Christians
65
25
9
Among Muslims

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How concerned are you about extremist religious groups in your country?

% respondingResponse Very concerned Response Somewhat concerned ResponseNot too / not at all concerned ResponseNo opinion
27
17
47
8
Total Population
27
18
48
7
Among Christians
29
16
41
15
Among Muslims

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Is violence against civilians in defense of religion justified?

% respondingResponse Often justified Response Sometimes justified Response Rarely or never justified Response No opinion
6
8
85
2
Total Population
4
7
88
1
Among Christians
11
14
72
3
Among Muslims

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How many Muslims in your country support Islamic extremist groups such as al-Qaeda?

% respondingResponse Many, most or all Response Just some Response Very few or none Response No opinion
16
17
43
25
Total Population
17
18
42
24
Among Christians
12
16
47
26
Among Muslims

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Did you have any of your daughters circumcised?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response NA / Don't know
1
98
0
Total Population
1
98
1
Among Christians
NA
Among Muslims

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Is it OK if political leaders have a different religion than yours?

% respondingResponse OK if leaders have different religion Response Only leaders with same religion Response No opinion
86
13
1
Total Population
88
12
0
Among Christians
78
21
0
Among Muslims

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Do you favor or oppose making the Bible or sharia the law of the land?

% respondingResponse Favor Response Oppose Response No opinion
NA
Total Population
52
48
1
Among Christians
53
46
1
Among Muslims

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Should women be allowed to serve in religious leadership roles, OR Should only men be able to serve?

% respondingResponse Women should be allowed Response Only men should be allowed Response Neither / No opinion
41
56
4
Total Population
46
50
4
Among Christians
16
83
1
Among Muslims

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Is democracy preferable to other kinds of government?

% respondingResponse Democracy preferable Response Sometimes nondemocracy pref. Response Does not matter / No opinion
71
12
17
Total Population
71
12
17
Among Christians
73
9
18
Among Muslims

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Notes

In countries where there were too few interviews with either Muslims or Christians, that subpopulation was not analyzed. Results are not shown for the total population for questions asked only to Muslims and Christians. Figures may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project

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