Many people think Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. Not true. Islam is growing fast, but Christianity is growing faster. Indeed there are twice as many Christians as Muslims in the world today and the gap is becoming larger. Moreover, Christianity has become the world's only religion that is truly universal.
Islam too has a wide reach, but Islam has only a small presence in the United States, Canada, Central and South America, and Australia. Christianity, by contrast, is strong everywhere in the world except the Middle East. Islam is growing mainly through reproduction, which is to say by Muslims having large families. Christianity is growing both through reproduction and through conversion.
So if Christianity is growing so fast, why don't we see it? Because the growth is occuring mainly in Asia and Africa. The full story is told in What's So Great About Christianity but here are some examples. In 1900 less than 10 percent of Africa was Christian. Now it's around 50 percent. That's an increase from 10 million Christians in 1900 to more than 350 million today. The story is pretty much the same in Asia. China now has an underground church numbering in the tens of millions. In Korea, Christians outnumber Buddhists and, in a remarkable historical reversal, now send missionaries to Europe to convert the natives. Some Asian and African churches have so many members that pastors have to tell people not to come very Sunday, because there is not enough room in the pews.
In a way the new atheism in the West can be understood as an angry backlash against these developments. The new atheists once expected that with modernity religion would simply wither away. It hasn't happened. In fact, the most rapidly-modernizing countries like India and China are ones where religion is booming the most. Consequently the atheists have mobilized a ferocious attack against religion and specifically Christianity, attempting to stop its alarming growth.
The atheist campaign is aggressively and intelligently mounted, but it's not likely to succeed. Mainly this is because atheists have forgotten how to reproduce. What I mean is that the typical secular couple has one child while the typical religious couple in the West has two children and the typical religious couple outside the West has 3-5 children. Guess who is going to own the twenty-first century!
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 11)
46. Runtune #24,
I agree with you in that there are radicals in every kind of group, from religious, political and scientific groups. They are a minority that speaks louder than the majority.
David McCool at 2:12PM on Oct 29th 2007
47. Out of the christian authors I have read, Dinesh is the most dissapointing. I am an athiest, former christian, and while I am a firm secularist, I have always tried to be respectful of religious views and values. Unfortunately, Dinesh makes the christian argument look weak and unsubstantiated. Oh, and my beliefs are in no way an "angry backlash." It was furthering my education and thinking for myself that are responsible for my views. And as far as owning the 21st century, I don't doubt it, and I'm slightly terrified to tell the truth. It is the impoverished and uneducated that are reproducing at the highest rate. Coincidence that most of these are christians.
I wish more free thinking individuals would speak out. Religion is not a truth it is an opinion, just like my atheism is an opinion. I would never expect an entire nation to live under laws that represent my sole opinion. Dinesh, wake up and you should be embarrassed of your shameless self promotion.
Laura Lovato at 2:18PM on Oct 29th 2007
48.
I'm appalled by the comment # 2 made by Stephanie. her comments clearly demonstartes her utter ignorance about Islam and the Quran and the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. I bet she never read the Quran, but obtained her information about Islam and the Qura'n amd Prophet Muhammed from ignorant persons or biased sources that have one thing in common: A sheer unfounded hatred to Islam and the Quran. My sincere advice to this lady and her likes to educate themselves by reading the Quran by themselves and do not borrow such opinions from ignorant persons and hateful sources.
Moreover,Stephanie and her likes do notknow that Muhammed installed the process of freeing slaves in Arabia as one the fundamentals of bein a Muslim. It worh mentioning that Bilal,the first caller for prayer and one of the greatest companions of Prophet Muhammed, was a black man and a former slave.That is why when many black American converts embrace Islam and read about this man and the change in his staus from a slave to a free man and a great companion of the prophet,they adopt his name and discard their given names.
I invite Stephanie and every body harboring such a negative view about Islam and the Quran to read the Quran for himself or herself to get the pristine truth from the source and avoid adopting the tainted fact spread by heineous people.
Hjabi at 4:09PM on Oct 29th 2007
49. This column has become so pathetic it's no longer funny. I've never been a fan of DD, but I've always managed to have some modicum of respect for his. . . style, if not his content. Now, not so.
And by the way, I don't mean to make strong, polarizing statements, but anyone who can't accept that all organisms originated from single-cell life needs to find a cave to rot in. Evolution doesn't make your god any less great. And Muslims are not all terrorists, and Athiests are not all angry, and Christians are not all idiots- - but Dinesh *is* all capitalist manipulation. . . using religious pseudo-text to sell, sell, sell. Sick bastard.
Sarah at 2:29PM on Oct 29th 2007
50. I think everyone needs to worry about their own religion and it's faults instead of criticizing other religions especially Islam. Just because they say Arabs "blew up the world trade centers " doesn't mean they did. You can't blame a whole race for one person's mistake. Take George Bush , he's christian you can say he is a heartless worthless piece of trash and because he is ,all Christians are . But no it's his view on life that lets him do that. But somebody that is educated no matter what religion you are won't say anything bad about any religion because they are all founded around one main aspect and that is God.
P.S why is everyone mad that Islam is increasing dramatically? JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!
xmandiix194 at 2:46PM on Oct 29th 2007
51. How do you know Mohammad was a slave owner and Jesus was not? Do you have facts?????PLEASE e-mail them to me at xmandiix194@aol.com If you have TRUE facts not BULLSHIT!!!!
xmandiix194 at 10:42AM on Nov 12th 2007
52. From what I see Christians don't talk to their family members if they convert to Islam or Judaism now do they????
xmandiix194 at 12:57PM on Oct 31st 2007
53. Dinesh says "Guess who is going to own the twenty-first century!"
Um, a bunch of poverty-stricken trailer trash peasants who have lots of kids with no medical care but, boy howdy, they *do* read their Bibles? But they'll be hired by the atheists who don't have kids (where *does* he get his data, you have to wonder?) who can actually afford to hire untrained help. So the economy will all work out and that's the important thing.
Geeze, Dinesh, you should be quoting the Pope's classic line of "Larger families are holier" and get all of these folks to start reproducing as soon as possible and pop out at least a dozen each. That'd show everyone how important Christianity is, you betcha!
JohnHedtke at 2:52PM on Oct 29th 2007
54. Dinesh, your blogs seem to get more angry and biased by the day. Atheism is not a movement, much less an angry one. Atheism is not organized, like religion. It is a personal choice not to believe in your god and it should be respected. Atheists have not forgotten how to reproduce-what an insanely ridiculous statement!!! In the face of depleting resources and the obvious impact of overpopulation, some of us have made the responsible choice to have just one child or no children at all. If that's not an example of scarifice for the greater good, I don't know what is. It seems to me, Dinesh, that in the name of your religion, you need to take a look at yourself and rethink being so judgemental. It is time that you start separating ethics from religion, as believeing in a higher power is not necessary to be an ethical human being. This is for sure the last blog of yours I am reading, as it has become obvious that you are lacking logic and objectivism.
Constance at 2:55PM on Oct 29th 2007
55. "The new atheists once expected that with modernity religion would simply wither away. It hasn't happened. In fact, the most rapidly-modernizing countries like India and China are ones where religion is booming the most."
Translation: As people here in the U.S. become better educated and more intelligent, Christianity makes a desperate push into emerging 3rd world countries to try to maintain their mass of followers.
JerryC at 3:02PM on Oct 29th 2007
56. I just do not understand why everyone is so pissed off at anybody that has a different religious or non-religious belief than themselves?
There are about 1.2 to 1.5 Billion Muslims, Christians only a few percentage points higher and around 16% of the population are Atheist. When I am in Turkey, my Turkish side of the family and all of our Turkish friends only have one or two children, Smart, I think. I see the white trash popping them out, all with different father's, non married, most undereducated and Christian. So, D, does that infer that although the Christian religion is growing faster, they in turn will be from single parent homes and be as undeniably obtuse as their parent(s)? Exactly what we need more imbeciles running about, but then again they will be Christian.
Mr. Zeh, please tell me what in the name of all that is good, what Qur'an and who translated it, you have read? Did you have a proper concordance, as well? Because, sir, the Qur'an is indeed a book of peace.
Effat, I can only say 'when you are right, you are absolutely right'. Thank you.
Whatever your belief system, be tolerant, peaceful and do not disturb another's beliefs as long as they greet you in kind. This, my friend's is from the Qur'an.
rhodalee at 3:04PM on Oct 29th 2007
57. And thats what it all about, isnt it? Who had more believers. I do believe that most religons have both a good and evil side to them, but what i hate about all of them is the "I'm right your wrong" persona most people have about their religon. Just look at how many different religons there are....how can you, with facts mind you, prove your the best/the "right" one. I've been reading the blog of a pysc. professor who has a great view on how we, as humans, fabricated religon in order to facilitate hope and a "moral code" to live by. Alot of people need to believe in something to get by....some people dont. Just remeber that over time facts have been skewed, stories left out, and truth obscured due to the vested interests that many people who have been involved with the shaping of modren religons have had. Dont believe all that you are told.
Owen at 3:07PM on Oct 29th 2007
58. Religion problem in the next 50 years!
Earth`s worst problem today and the future is both
polution and population explosion.
Thanks to Nobel Peace Prize winner 2007 Al Gore we are finally tackling the overheating problem but not the crazy waste of fossil oil and gas resouces.
But who dares to publish a book about the worse
problem of over-population our earth experiences today which will be a human tradegy within 20 - 50 years. We already have a staggering shortage of land, forests, wildlife and water resouces. Who has the courage to stop our human accelerating over-population which is often described as the 2000 century population explosion. Thanks to Chairman Mao who legally decreed 1 child per family
in modern China with astonishing and grateful results today, better living standards in China.
Who can help stop the population catastrop in India
South America, Mexico, Phillipines, Middle East?
Not the Roman Catholic Pope nor Moslim Iman priests so I ask you the reader, who will have the courage to tackle this human problem before it
resolves itself the natural way through teritorial or religous warfare with terrible human suffering as it has occurred through the past centuries?
Realistic idealist at 8:08AM on Oct 30th 2007
59. Christianity is a religion for women while Judaism and Islam are religions for men. The growing influence of Christianity is one more data point re: the pussification of America.
Jimmy at 3:36PM on Oct 29th 2007
60. Religion in the next 20 - 50 years.
Our earth suffers today from 2 staggering problems,
polution and population explosions which are partly
results of religious dogma, Christian welldoing and
Moslem reproduction.
Nobel peace prize author Al Gore described in his book the polution catastroph, but who voulenteers to write about the population explosion which is
destroying living conditions and wildlife forests in many countries, Africa, South America, Mexico, India, Pakistan and the Middle East. Chairman Mao
proclaimed legally only i child per family in China
Not the Roman Catholic Pope or Moslem Iman priests!
Realistic idealist at 8:14AM on Oct 30th 2007