Editing Culture of the Netherlands (section)

==Religion==
[[File:St Servaas 20080913 choir.jpg|thumb|The [[Basilica of Saint Servatius]] (built 570) in Maastricht is the oldest church in the Netherlands.]]
[[File:Nederlandgodsdienst1849-en.PNG|thumb|Dutch religion in 1849]]
{{Pie chart
|caption = Beliefs in the Netherlands (2015)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/5091/Religie/article/detail/3830831/2015/01/16/Ongelovigen-halen-de-gelovigen-in.dhtml |title=Ongelovigen halen de gelovigen in|website=Trouw |date=16 January 2015|access-date=2 August 2017}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Atheism]]
|value1 = 25
|color1 = Black
|label2 = [[Agnostic]]
|value2 = 31
|color2 = Skyblue
|label3 = [[Ietsism]]
|value3 = 27
|color3 = Forestgreen
|label4 = [[Theism]]
|value4 = 17
|color4 = Orangered
}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religions in the Netherlands (2015)<ref name="BerntsA"/>
|label1 = [[Irreligion]]
|value1 = 67.8
|color1 = White
|label2 = [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]]
|value2 = 11.7
|color2 = DarkOrchid
|label3 = [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands]]
|value3 = 8.6
|color3 = DodgerBlue
|label5 =  [[Islam in the Netherlands|Islam]]
|value5 = 5.8
|color5 = Green
|label4 = Other Christian denominations
|value4 = 4.2
|color4 = Red
|label6 = [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]]
|value6 = 2.0
|color6 = Turquoise
}}
{{main|Religion in the Netherlands}}
Between the Celtic and Germanic peoples and later the Roman conquerors a cultural exchange took place. An adaptation of polytheistic religions and each other's myths took place among the various tribes, coming from the Germanic, Celtic and later Roman mythology. From the 4th to the 6th century AD [[Migration Period|The Great Migration]] took place, in which the small Celtic-Germanic-Roman tribes in the Low Countries were gradually supplanted by three major Germanic tribes: the [[Franks]], the [[Frisians]] and the [[Saxons]]. Around 500 the Franks, initially residing between the Rhine and the [[Somme river|Somme]] embraced [[Christianity]] under the auspices of King [[Clovis I]]. However, it would take at least until AD 1000 before all the pagans were actually Christianized and the Frisian and Saxon religions became extinct, although elements were incorporated into the local [[Christian religion]]. The following centuries Catholic Christianity was the only mainstream religion in the Netherlands. The rebellious Netherlands that had united in the [[Union of Utrecht]] (1579) declared their independence from [[Spain]] in 1581, during the [[Eighty Years' War]]; Spain finally accepted this in 1648. The Dutch revolt was partially religiously motivated: during the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] many of the Dutch had adopted [[Lutheran]], [[Anabaptist]], [[Calvinist]] or [[Mennonite]] forms of [[Protestantism]]. These religious movements were suppressed by the Spanish, who supported the [[Counter Reformation]]. After independence the Netherlands adopted [[Calvinism]] as a quasi-[[state religion]] (although never formally), but practiced a degree of religious tolerance towards non-Calvinists.

Until late into the 20th century, the predominant religion in the Netherlands was Christianity. Although religious diversity remains, there has been a decline in religious adherence. In 2006, 34% of the Dutch population identified as Christian,<ref name="nos.nl">{{cite news |title=Hoe God (bijna) verdween uit Nederland |url=http://nos.nl/artikel/2092498-hoe-god-bijna-verdween-uit-nederland.html |access-date=3 April 2016 |publisher=NOS |date=13 March 2016}}</ref> decreasing till in 2015 almost 25% of the population adhered to one of the Christian faiths (11.7% Roman Catholic, 8.6% [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands|PKN]], 4.2% other small Christian denominations), 5% is Muslim and 2% adheres to Hinduism or Buddhism, based on independent in-depth interviewing by [[Radboud University]] and [[Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam]].<ref name="BerntsA"/> Approximately 67.8% of the population in 2015 has [[irreligion|no religious affiliation]], up from 61% in 2006, 53% in 1996, 43% 1979 and 33% in 1966.<ref name="BerntsA"/> The Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (Social and Cultural Planning Agency, SCP) expects the number of non-affiliated Dutch to be at 72% in 2020.<ref>Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau, God in Nederland (2006/2007)</ref>

A large majority of the Dutch population believes that religion should not have a determining role to play in politics and education. Religion is also decreasingly seen as a social binder,<ref name="nos.nl"/> and is generally considered a personal matter which should not be propagated in public.<ref>Donk, W.B.H.J. van de; Jonkers, A.P.; Kronjee, G.J.; Plum, R.J.J.M. (2006)</ref> The Dutch constitution guarantees freedom of education, which means that all schools that adhere to general quality criteria receive the same government funding. This includes schools based on religious principles by religious groups (especially Roman Catholic and various Protestant). Three political parties in the Dutch parliament, ([[Christian Democratic Appeal|CDA]], and two small parties, [[ChristianUnion]] and [[Reformed Political Party|SGP]]) are based upon the Christian belief. Several Christian religious holidays are national holidays ([[Christmas]], [[Easter]], [[Pentecost]] and the [[Ascension of Jesus]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beleven.org/feesten/lijsten/landen.php?land=Nederland |title=Feestdagen Nederland |publisher=Beleven.org |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref> In the late 19th century atheism began to rise as secularism, [[Pillarisation|liberalism and socialism]] grew; in the 1960s and 1970s Protestantism and Catholicism notably began to decline. There is one major exception: Islam, which grew considerably as the result of [[Demographics of the Netherlands#Im- and Emigration|immigration]]. Since the year 2000, there has been raised awareness of religion, mainly due to [[Muslim extremism]].<ref>Knippenberg, Hans, ''The Changing Religious Landscape of Europe'' edited by Knippenberg, published by Het Spinhuis, Amsterdam 2005 {{ISBN|90-5589-248-3}}, pages 102-104</ref> Islam is not part of the Dutch identity, culture or tradition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/wat-maakt-nederland-tot-nederland-over-identiteit-blijken-we-verrassend-eensgezind~bae096a49/ |title= Wat maakt Nederland tot Nederland? Over identiteit blijken we verrassend eensgezind |date= 26 June 2019 |publisher=www.trouw.nl}}</ref> In 2013 a Catholic became [[Queen consort]].

From a December 2014 survey by the VU University Amsterdam it was concluded that for the first time there are more atheists (25%) than theists (17%) in the Netherlands. The majority of the population being agnostic (31%) or ietsists (27%).<ref name="trouw.nl">{{cite news|last1=van Beek|first1=Marije|title=Ongelovigen halen de gelovigen in|url=http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/5091/Religie/article/detail/3830831/2015/01/16/Ongelovigen-halen-de-gelovigen-in.dhtml|access-date=21 April 2015|work=Dossier Relige|publisher=der Verdieping Trouw|date=16 January 2015}}</ref> [[Atheism]], [[agnosticism]] and [[Christian atheism]] are on the rise and are widely accepted and considered to be non-controversial. Among those who adhere to Christianity, there are high percentages of atheists, agnostics and [[ietsism]], since affiliation with a Christian denomination is also used in a way of [[Cultural identity|cultural identification]] in the different parts of the Netherlands.<ref name="KnippenbergA">H. Knippenberg, "The Changing Religious Landscape of Europe", Het Spinhuis, Amsterdam 2005 {{ISBN|90-5589-248-3}}</ref> In 2015, a vast majority of the inhabitants of the Netherlands (82%) said they had never or almost never visited a church, and 59% stated that they had never been to a church of any kind. Of all the people questioned, 24% saw themselves as atheist, which is an increase of 11% compared to the previous study done in 2006.<ref name="BerntsA">{{cite book |last1=Bernts |first1=Tom |last2=Berghuijs |first2=Joantine |title=God in Nederland 1966-2015 |date=2016 |publisher=Ten Have |isbn=9789025905248}}</ref> The expected rise of spirituality (ietsism) has come to a halt according to research in 2015. In 2006 40% of respondents considered themselves spiritual, in 2015 this has dropped to 31%. The number who believed in the existence of a higher power fell from 36% to 28% over the same period.<ref name="nos.nl"/>

Christianity is currently the largest religion in the Netherlands. The provinces of [[North Brabant]] and [[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]] have historically been strongly Roman Catholic, and some of their people might still consider the Catholic Church as a base for their [[Cultural Christian|cultural identity]]. Protestantism in the Netherlands consists of a number of churches within various traditions. The largest of these is the [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands]] (PKN), a [[United and uniting churches|United]] church which is [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] and [[Lutheran]] in orientation.<ref name="CBS 2009">{{cite news |url=http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=37944&D1=0-5,10&D2=29-40&VW=T |title=Kerkelijke gezindte en kerkbezoek; vanaf 1849; 18 jaar of ouder |date=15 October 2010}}</ref> It was formed in 2004 as a merger of the [[Dutch Reformed Church]], the [[Reformed Churches in the Netherlands]] and [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands|a smaller Lutheran Church]]. Several orthodox Reformed and liberal churches did not merge into the PKN. Although in the Netherlands as a whole Christianity has become a minority, the Netherlands contains a [[Bible Belt (Netherlands)|Bible Belt]] from [[Zeeland]] to the northern parts of the province [[Overijssel]], in which Protestant (particularly Reformed) beliefs remain strong, and even has majorities in municipal councils.

[[Islam]] is the second-largest religion in the state. In 2012, there were about 825,000 [[Islam in the Netherlands|Muslims]] in the Netherlands (5% of the population).<ref name=CBS2>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/vrije-tijd-cultuur/publicaties/artikelen/archief/2012/2012-3759-wm.htm |title=Een op de zes bezoekt regelmatig kerk of moskee |work=Central Bureau of Statistics, Netherlands |year=2012 |access-date=30 March 2014}}</ref> Muslim numbers increased from the 1960s as a consequence of large numbers of [[Demographics of the Netherlands#Im- and Emigration|migrant workers]]. These included migrants from former [[Dutch Empire|Dutch colonies]], such as [[Surinam (Dutch colony)|Surinam]] and [[Indonesia]], but mainly migrant workers from [[Turkey]] and [[Morocco]]. During the 1990s, [[Muslim refugees]] arrived from countries like [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Somalia]], and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scp.nl/publicaties/boeken/9037702597/Godsdienstige_veranderingen.pdf |title=Godsdienstige veranderingen in Nederland |access-date=17 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125142251/http://www.scp.nl/publicaties/boeken/9037702597/Godsdienstige_veranderingen.pdf |archive-date=25 January 2007}}</ref>

Other religions account for some 6% of the Dutch people. Hinduism is a minority religion in the Netherlands, with around 215,000 adherents (slightly over 1% of the population). Most of these are [[Indo-Surinamese]]. There are also sizable populations of Hindu immigrants from [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]], and some Western adherents of [[Hinduism in the West|Hinduism-oriented new religious movements]] such as [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishnas]]. The Netherlands has an estimated 250,000 [[Buddhism in the Netherlands|Buddhists]] or people strongly attracted to this religion, mainly ethnic Dutch people. There are about 45,000 [[History of the Jews in the Netherlands|Jews]] in the Netherlands.