Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands (also called the Republic of the Marshall Islands) is a Pacific island nation that, along with Saipan, Guam, the Caroline Islands, and others, constitutes the Federated States of Micronesia, located in the center of the Pacific Ocean. The islands contain more than 60,000 people and lie to the north of Kiribati and Nauru, while to the south lies the American territory of Wake Island.

Christianity is the primary religion throughout the islands, and most citizens are Protestant. The single largest religious denomination is the United Church of Christ, with slightly more than half of the population (approximately 55%). The Pentecostal Church (found within the Assembly of God) is also well represented, with 25% of the population considering themselves adherents. Roman Catholicism has slightly more than 8% of [Page 748]the population. Smaller Protestant denominations include the Pentecostal faith called the Bukot Non Jesus, which is also known by the title “Assembly of God Part II.” In addition, there are Seventh-Day Adventists and Full Gospel believers (holiness beliefs similar to Pentecostals).

Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) may also be found in the Marshall Islands, as are believers of the Baha'i Faith (a small church accentuating monotheism that was started in 19th-century Persia). Followers of Ahmadiyya Islam and Jehovah's Witnesses are thought to have small enclaves of believers, measuring somewhere in the hundreds. Missionaries of any faith are welcome in the Marshall Islands to evangelize to the citizens, and it is the same throughout Micronesia.

Indigenous beliefs throughout Micronesia were polytheistic; that is, there were a number of gods of both sexes, and each had a specific function. Many chief gods were symbolized as being instrumental within the annual succession of regeneration and renewal that secures the prospects of humanity's continued existence on earth. Other gods were minor and were linked with neighborhood shrines. Spirits from one's ancestors were understood to frequently intermingle with people; those who knew how to contact them often did so. These ancestors were believed to monitor the day-to-day behavior of the living, pondering whether the individual in question acted in a forbidden manner or contravened any of the ethical rules that the major gods had established.

Death was considered the stealing of a person's ability to breathe and the complete absence of the animating force that keeps each person alive. Moreover, it occurred as a result of the behavior of other beings, both alive and deceased. One's personality does not change at death; on the contrary, each individual carries his or her personality characteristics throughout life and death. If a person was friendly or cruel in earthbound existence, he or she would remain so in the afterlife. Spirits of the dead intermingle with the living, and individuals newly deceased stay close to the living, often shielding family members or good friends from harm. However, cruel spirits often enjoy scaring people, and those that are the nastiest enjoy bringing death or bad luck to the living.