Religion is the way of life of an individual to attain the salvation It is and must be an individual issue. State has nothing to do with the religion. But, unfortunately many states are not secular, not irreligious. They are attached to any one religion. There are 40 Christian countries , as their deemed state religion and 29 countries are Islamic. Bhutan and Cambodia are Buddhist countries. Buddhism is a preferred religion in laos, Srilanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
As per the quarterly journal of economics, which was published online by Harverd, the status of the state religions are as follows;
Afghanistan -Muslim
Albania-Muslim
Algeria-Muslim
Andorra -Catholic
Angola Catholic
Antigua and Barbuda none
Argentina Catholic
Armenia Orthodox
Australia none
Austria none
Azerbaijan Muslim
Bahamas Protestant
Bahrain Muslim
Bangladesh none
Barbados Protestant
Belarus Orthodox
Belgium none
Belize none
Benin Ethno-religion
Bhutan Buddhist
Bolivia Catholic
Bosnia and Herzegovina none
Botswana Protestant
Brazil Catholic
Brunei Muslim
Bulgaria none
Burkina Faso Ethno-religion
Burundi Ethno-religion
Cambodia Buddhist
Cameroon none
Canada none
Cape Verde Catholic
Central African Republic Ethno-religion
Chad Ethno-religion
Chile Catholic
China Confucian
Colombia Catholic
Comoros none
Congo (Brazzaville) none
Congo (Kinshasa) Catholic
Costa Rica- Catholic
Cote d’Ivoire -none
Croatia -Catholic
Cuba -Catholic
Cyprus- none
Czech Republic -none
Denmark -Protestant
DDjibouti-none
Dominica- none
Dominican Republic- Catholic
Ecuador – none
Egypt – Muslim
El Salvador- Catholic
Equatorial Guinea – Catholic
Eritrea – Orthodox
Estonia
Ethiopia – Orthodox
Fiji – none
Finland – Protestant
France – none
Gabon-none
Gambia – none
Georgia – Orthodox
Germany – none
Ghana -none
Greece- Orthodox
Grenada- none
Guatemala- Catholic
Guinea- none
Guinea-Bissau -Catholic
Guyana- none
Haiti- Catholic
Honduras -Catholic
Hungary- none
Iceland -Protestant
India -none
Indonesia- none
Iran -Muslim
Iraq- Muslim
Ireland -Catholic
Israel- Jewish
Italy -Catholic
Jamaica – none
Japan – none
Jordan- Muslim
Kazakhstan – none
Kenya – none
Kiribati- none
Korea (North) – none
Korea (South) – none
Kuwait Muslim
Kyrgyz Republic -Muslim YNY
Laos -none
Latvia- none
Lenonen- none
Lesotho none
Liberia Protestant
Libya Muslim
Liechtenstein Catholic
Lithuania none
Luxembourg Catholic
Macedonia Orthodox
Madagascar none
Malawi none
Malaysia Muslim
Maldive Islands Muslim
Mali none
Malta Catholic
Marshall Islands none
Mauritania Muslim
Mauritius none
Mexico none
Micronesia none
Moldova Orthodox
Monaco Catholic
Mongolia none
Morocco Muslim
Mozambique none
Myanmar none
Namibia none
Nepal Hindu(?)
Netherlands none
New Zealand none
Nicaragua none
Niger none
Nigeria none
Norway Protestant
Oman Muslim
Pakistan Muslim
Panama Catholic
Papua New Guinea none
Paraguay Catholic
Peru Catholic
Philippines none
Poland none
Portugal Catholic
Qatar Muslim
Romania none
Russia none
Rwanda- none
Samoa Protestant
St. Kitts and Nevis none
St. Lucia none
St. Vincent and Grenadines none
San Marino none
Sao Tome and Principe Catholic Catholic none YYN
Saudi Arabia Muslim
Senegal none
Seychelles none
Sierra Leone none
Singapore none
Slovak Republic none
Slovenia none
Solomon Islands none
Somalia Muslim
South Africa none
Spain Catholic
Sri Lanka- Buddhist
Sudan -Muslim
Suriname- none
Swaziland -none
Sweden – none
Switzerland- none
Syria- none
Taiwan-none
Tajikistan Muslim
Tanzania none
Thailand Buddhist
Togo- none
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago- none
Tunisia- Muslim
Turkey- none YNN
Turkmenistan – Muslim
Uganda none
Ukraine Orthodox YNY
United Arab Emirates Muslim
United Kingdom Protestant
United States none
Uruguay none
Uzbekistan- Muslim
Vanuatu Protestant
Venezuela Catholic
Vietnam none
Yemen Muslim
Yugoslavia (Serbia) none
Zambia none
Zimbabwe none
Total observations 188
No state religion total 113
Buddhist total 4
Catholic total= 22
Confucian total = 0
Ethno-religion total = 0
Hindu total= 1
Jewish total= 1
Muslim total = 29
Orthodox total = 8
Protestant total = 10
It clearly reveals that out of 188 countries observed, 113 countries don’t have the state religion .
The state has to relinquish its religion and become secular. In the medieval period, wars took place between the states on the basis of religion. Even now the same conditions are prevailing. Some countries are supporting the religious fanatics to do the anti-social activities in other countries.
Religion is a personal affair of a individual. State should not have the role in the religion of their citizens. State shouldn’t sanction funds on the basis of religion and for the religious activities. All the money that required for the religious Development must be spent by individuals.
French Revolution has crushed the hegemony of the religious institutions in the France. The same kind of the Revolutions are need of the hour in the religious states.
Ironically, most of the religious states don’t follow the Democracy. They are ruled by the Autocrats.
The war between Armania and Azerbaijan has already taken the religious colour. Turkey want to rule the world on the basis of religion.
Some countries even sanction and release the amounts for the religious development in other countries and to destabilize them.
United Nations must take a call on the religious countries and persue with them to be secular. Otherwise, wars on the basis of religion and support in wars on the basis of that is imminent. It will definitely destabilise the world order.
United Nations have to start a wing to persue to make the states as secular and Democratic nations . Such wing has to convert the religious nations in to the Secular Nations over a period of time. It will be the boon in this disguised condition.