Sephardic law and customs Spain or Portugal (as well as one Romaniot and one Ashkenazi synagogue). In a process lasting from the 16th through the 19th century, the native Jewish communities of most Arab and Ottoman countries adapted their pre-existing liturgies, many of which already had a family resemblance with the Sephardic, to follow the Spanish rite in as many respects as possible. Some reasons for this are: The most important theological, as opposed to practical, motive for harmonization was the Kabbalistic teachings of Isaac Luria and Ḥayim Vital. Luria himself always maintained that it was the duty of every Jew to abide by
Religion in Benin Religion in Benin Christianity is the most widely professed religion in Benin, with 48.5% of the nation's total population being members of various Christian denominations. As a result, it plays an important role in shaping the country's social and cultural life. According to the 2013 estimate by the government of Benin, the population of Benin is 27.7% Muslim, 25.5% Roman Catholic, 13.5% Protestant (which includes Celestial 6.7%, Methodist 3.4%, and other Protestant 3.4%), 11.6% Vodun, 9.5% of other Christian denominations, and 12.2% of others or none. There are Christians, Muslims, and adherents of African Traditional Religion throughout the country. However,