Christianity and Buddhism in Laos
Buddhism was proclaimed the offi cial religion of the Laos state in the middle of the XIV century and kept this status up to 1975 being under the guardianship of all ruling monarchs and authorities. Christianity, a new religion for this country, that penetrated there only about one hundred years ago, which has only one and a half hundred thousand followers, is represented by the Roman catholic church and different Protestant denominations. At present the most complex subjects in the religious fi eld of Laos have proved to be not numerous Protestant congregations belonging to a number of sects. They insist on the right of spreading their dogma and are involded in active preaching, fi rst an all, among the pagan part of the Laos population to attract it to themselves and to use in for political purposes when necessary. Thus there develops an opposition of this form of Christianity to Buddhism that till now has held a monopoly it the spiritual life of Laos; it is fraught with a discord and confl icts in the Laos society.