Tolerance and Tension

Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

POLL · April 15, 2010

DR Congo

Political Map
Political Map of DR Congo
Religious Affiliation
of Survey Respondents in DR Congo
Religious Composition in DR Congo

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

Survey Answers of Respondents in DR Congo (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
82
6
5
7
Total Population
85
6
2
7
Among Christians
91
7
2
1
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
8
11
11
Total Population
72
9
10
9
Among Christians
85
7
1
7
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
85
9
1
5
Total Population
88
8
0
4
Among Christians
87
10
0
2
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
60
33
2
5
Among Christians
54
35
4
8
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
65
22
7
6
Total Population
67
23
4
6
Among Christians
75
22
2
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
56
36
8
Among Christians
69
6
25
Among Muslims

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Have you experienced or witnessed a divine healing?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response Don't know
56
38
6
Total Population
60
35
5
Among Christians
48
46
6
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
31
36
Total Population
35
27
38
Among Christians
33
48
19
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
63
32
5
Total Population
65
30
4
Among Christians
63
31
6
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
62
25
13
Total Population
64
23
13
Among Christians
64
27
9
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
76
9
15
Total Population
76
8
16
Among Christians
78
12
10
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
83
8
8
Total Population
84
8
8
Among Christians
87
6
7
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
57
24
19
Total Population
65
14
20
Among Christians
20
64
16
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
60
22
14
4
Total Population
68
21
7
3
Among Christians
22
22
50
6
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
13
19
52
17
Total Population
5
18
58
19
Among Christians
63
20
14
2
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
14
67
19
Total Population
10
70
19
Among Christians
26
66
8
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
40
31
29
Total Population
42
27
31
Among Christians
18
68
13
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "violent" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
12
74
15
Total Population
9
79
12
Among Christians
23
53
23
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Muslims?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
41
23
36
Total Population
36
24
40
Among Christians
84
4
12
Among Muslims

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Do you associate the term "honest" with Christians?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response No opinion
67
19
14
Total Population
73
16
11
Among Christians
52
26
23
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
29
18
36
18
Total Population
31
19
32
18
Among Christians
22
17
48
13
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
10
9
70
10
Total Population
7
6
77
10
Among Christians
29
29
35
7
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
21
14
28
37
Total Population
20
14
28
39
Among Christians
23
17
40
21
Among Muslims

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Did you have any of your daughters circumcised?

% respondingResponse Yes Response No Response NA / Don't know
9
80
11
Total Population
7
83
10
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
53
28
19
Total Population
54
28
18
Among Christians
54
29
18
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
38
10
Among Christians
74
17
10
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
26
58
16
Total Population
27
59
14
Among Christians
17
73
10
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
60
17
24
Total Population
62
15
22
Among Christians
48
25
27
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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