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 7 of 11)
91. Bravo Konstantin, you (and many others) are exposing Dinesh' distortion of facts and reality.
The non-religious population will grow, thanks to computers and more and more atheists coming out of the closet (after seeing their president say stupid things like "god" told him to invade Iraq).
No more religion in government. No teaching creationism BS to kids. If you want to believe in fairy tales, fine, it's your call, but don't mix it with governance and don't brainwash our children.
Sven at 10:09PM on Oct 29th 2007
92. "And you who are "secularists". Are you indignant over child abuse? Angry over poverty of young women sold into sexual slavery? Angry when the hungry are not fed?
If you CARE about the oppressed human - congrats - you (in the US at least )have been INFLUENCED by Judaism/Christianity."
Ouch, the usual confusion between morals and religion. Vanessa, morals are NOT exclusive to religion. Neither is a good heart and intelligence.
Yes, we atheists care a lot about these issues. Many of us fight against inequalities and injustices too. The atheists I know are often more moral than any religious folks I know, and certainly a lot less hypocritical.
Our values come from good upbringing and the sense of what is right and wrong. We know how we like to be treated. My kids were raised WITHOUT religion and could not be more respectiful of others.
Kids raised without religion are not constantly scared of a wrathful god and going to hell. They know that any mistakes they make they pay here, in life.
Grace Tollini at 11:10PM on Oct 30th 2007
93. My gosh !!!! this commedian is becoming, the concience keeper of the west. Catholic guru of america-the most rational country.
Yugash at 10:35PM on Oct 29th 2007
94. Olive shoot: what do you think of post #57 above?
Rod at 10:42PM on Oct 29th 2007
95. Seeing that both Islam and Christianity originated from mythology, it would be more correct to say my fictional God is better than your fictio.nal God
c w foster at 11:08PM on Oct 29th 2007
96. ISLAMO – FASCISM WEEK GAVE TREMENDOUS CREDIABILITY TO ISLAM
By
Larry Houle
www.godofreason.com
intermedusa@yahoo.com
Islamo Fascism week gave tremendous creditability to Islam. It perpetuated the myth that Islam is a wonderful religion of peace and love that has been hi – jacked by a few bad apples of evil Islamo - Facsists.Islamic militants, jihadists, Wahhabism, radical Islam, Islamists. There has been no hijacking. These demented souls are following exactly the teachings of the Koran and in the footsteps of the Prophet - Muhammad.
The reality is that Osama bin Laden is a true Muslim – a holy man of the book who is following exactly the teachings of Islam as recorded in the Koran.
By not exposing the true nature of Islam, the speakers elevated Islam to an equal footing with Christianity and other world religions.
There was no discussion of :
The criminality of Muhammad that included everything from molesting a six year old girl to beheading captives, massacres, terror, owning slaves and raping them, looting and pillaging etc.
Slavery and raping slaves as Laws of God for all eternity
Looting as a Law of God and sharing 1/5 of the proceeds from looting and selling slaves with Allah and his Messenger.
Murdering Infidels as an Eternal Law of God.
The oppression and subrogation of women as Eternal Laws of God
An evil Paradise of big breasted, big eyed Hurs to be sexually molested for all eternity as a reward for those who slay and are slain in the service of God.
Does anyone truly believe that God would have as His Prophet for His one and only true religion a criminal – Muhammad and teachings of slavery, rape, murder etc. Is this a rational, reasonable human thought that God would be a criminal involved in these evil criminal acts.
Is it a rational, reasonable human thought that God would create a religion that allowed His followers (believers) in His one and only true religion to enslave the unbelievers, breed and sell them. Is this rational ? Is this reasonable?
Is it a rational human thought that God would create a religion that allowed His male followers (believers) in His one and only true religion to rape unbelievers and gang rape them. Is this rational ? Is this reasonable?
Is it a rational human thought that God would create a religion that allowed His followers (believers) in His one and only true religion to marry up to 4 women and His
Prophet to marry as many women as he desired and own and rape his slaves. Is this rational ? Is this reasonable?
Is it a rational human thought that God would create a religion were women are evil, vile creatures - ½ human beings. Is this rational ? Is this reasonable?
Is it a rational human thought that God would create a religion that allowed His followers (believers) in His one and only true religion to require His believers to share the booty gained from the looted property of the unbelievers and from the sale of slaves with God Himself. Is this rational ? Is this reasonable?
Is it a rational human thought that God would create a religion that allowed His followers (believers) in His one and only true religion to require His believers to murder unbelievers after giving them a warning to convert or pay a submission tax. Is this rational ? Is this reasonable?
We could go on and on.
The answer is absolutely not. It is not rational. It is not reasonable. There is no such criminal God.
Islam was the invention and creation of Muhammad. There was no Allah. The Koran is the teachings of Muhammad and not any God. By not exposing this truth of Islam, these speakers did us all a grave disservice. By perpetrating the myth of a hijacking, they granted Islam – legitimacy.
personalrep1 at 11:48PM on Oct 29th 2007
97. I don't find violence in the Judo-Christian tradition. Those who do have poor reading comprehension. God judges and His judgments are tough. You're not going to change God. He describes himself as a constant: "the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow."
Have you people who misjudge the Judo-Christian tradition ever thought of taking a remedial reading course. I know people who have taken remedial reading in order to pass a civil service test and get a promotion. Remedial reading didn't work for them. I don't think remedial reading will work for atheists and muslims, either. God calls atheists fools. God says, "The fool says in his heart, there is no God." I would be ashamed to speak out with the complete ignorance exhibited by atheists.
Ronald B. Zeh at 11:39PM on Oct 29th 2007
98. If Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, the world is going to hell in a hand basket. The Book, our Judo-Christian Book propheseys that the end times will be hellish, brutal, with unpleasant extremes in both climate and human behavior. Since there is no rapture, except for Protestants, we true Christian believers will live through those times with the love and protection of God that we enjoy today, if we happen to be going through the tribulation periods.
God cares for His children, even those beheaded by violent Muslims.
Ronald B. Zeh at 11:46PM on Oct 29th 2007
99. Yes Christianity is the Fastest Growing religion Through converts and Birth rate and always will be There will be always More Christians then Muslims In this world. 6000 muslims convert to christianity every hour in africa and thats just africa what about asia where todays christian population is more then 400 million africa in the 1900s was 10 mil now its 350 and rising still to many people leave islam and Christianity is the Dominant religion of the world and always will be. Muslims have alot of children tats why they have followers but there numbers decrease with the number of killing and suicide bombers in middle eastern countries muslims vs muslims shia's vs sunnies you see christianity is truly The worlds Light and true religion
Macedonian at 11:59PM on Oct 29th 2007
100. Allah was the name of a pagan moon god worshipped in the time of Mohammed. The people knew this, but they accepted Allah anyway. Must be that they loved the violence of this newly imagined God.
Ronald B. Zeh at 11:57PM on Oct 29th 2007
101. Hey Dinesh- maybe you and all your religious compatriots can go kill each other over your mythology of choice, while the rest of us live in peace and deal with the real issues that we as humans face...atheists may only create one child, but it's the non-atheists killing each other's children on a regular basis...keep it up, perhaps in your own history, some of your family members were forced to accept a religion that they might not have believed in...
raknyc at 7:58AM on Oct 30th 2007
102. As a fervent agnostic, I just wish all the people talking about their religion would shut up and practice it.
deeply shallow at 12:17AM on Oct 30th 2007
103. "I believe it is a religion that has been perverted by the 'ignorant' Arabs."
How so? The Islam promulgated by these "ignorant Arabs" is EXACTLY the Islam created by Mohammed and his thugs.
I would honestly like to believe that Islam is NOT the fastest growing religion, as such a notion is frightening, to say the least. As concerns the conversions of prisoners - sure, doesn't it make sense? Islam allows any sort of violence and criminal activity, so long as it's done in the name of Islam by devout Muslims. Thus, the incarcerated rapist can say, "Well, the beyotch asked for it, because she was uncovered." And the murderer can justify his crime because his victim was not a Muslim!
Check out this chilling site:
http://islamwatchers.blogspot.com
No Dhimmi at 12:42AM on Oct 30th 2007
104. Protestant Christianity is growing approximately 0.6% faster than Islam, while Catholicism and other forms are growing @ 0.7% lower than Islam. By numbers, Christianity as a whole is far exceeding Islam, but percentage is @ the same. However, Protestants are growing at a rate that may exceed what Islam can keep up with.
Sticky at 12:50AM on Oct 30th 2007
105. The original targets of the Ku Klux Klan were Republicans, both black and white, according to a new television program and book, which describe how the Democrats started the KKK and for decades harassed the GOP with lynchings and threats.
An estimated 3,446 blacks and 1,297 whites died at the end of KKK ropes from 1882 to 1964.
The documentation has been assembled by David Barton of Wallbuilders and published in his book "Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White," which reveals that not only did the Democrats work hand-in-glove with the Ku Klux Klan for generations, they started the KKK and endorsed its mayhem.
"Of all forms of violent intimidation, lynchings were by far the most effective," Barton said in his book. "Republicans often led the efforts to pass federal anti-lynching laws and their platforms consistently called for a ban on lynching. Democrats successfully blocked those bills and their platforms never did condemn lynchings."
Further, the first grand wizard of the KKK was honored at the 1868 Democratic National Convention, no Democrats voted for the 14th Amendment to grant citizenship to former slaves and, to this day, the party website ignores those decades of racism, he said.
"Although it is relatively unreported today, historical documents are unequivocal that the Klan was established by Democrats and that the Klan played a prominent role in the Democratic Party," Barton writes in his book. "In fact, a 13-volume set of congressional investigations from 1872 conclusively and irrefutably documents that fact.
"Contributing to the evidences was the 1871 appearance before Congress of leading South Carolina Democrat E.W. Seibels who testified that 'they [the Ku Klux Klan] belong to the reform part – [that is, to] our party, the Democratic Party,'" Barton writes.
"The Klan terrorized black Americans through murders and public floggings; relief was granted only if individuals promised not to vote for Republican tickets, and violation of this oath was punishable by death," he said. "Since the Klan targeted Republicans in general, it did not limit its violence simply to black Republicans; white Republicans were also included."
Dave at 12:56AM on Oct 30th 2007