RELIGION
The Middle Colonies were not dominated by a single religion which gave way to more liberal attitudes and some religious freedom. There were Quakers, Catholics, Lutherans, Jews and others in the Middle regions and colonies.
- Jewish
However, many people who call themselves Jews do not believe in that religion at all! More than half of all Jews in Israel today call themselves "secular," and don't believe in God or any of the religious beliefs of Judaism.
- Quaker
member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded by George Fox circa 1650 and devoted to peaceful principles. Central to the Quakers' belief is the doctrine of the “Inner Light,” or sense of Christ's direct working in the soul. This has led them to reject both formal ministry and all set forms of worship.
- Catholic
The Catholic religion is the religion of the Catholic Church—i.e., that group of churches in communion with the pope. If a group isn't in communion with the pope, it isn't part of the Catholic Church. Within the Catholic Church there are a number of individual churches, sometimes called rites.
- Lutherans
Today, Lutheranism is one of the largest denominations by members of Protestantism and overall Christianity. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Roman Catholic Church launched the Protestant Reformation in the mid 16th century in Germany.