Question by Joey: Is Islam the fastest growing religion in the world, should Christians be worried?
Is Islam the fastest growing religion in the world, should Christians be worried?
The following table has been quoted as taken from the 2005 Encyclopædia Britannica. Its figures for percentage growth come from the 1990 to 2000 version of the World Christian Database given above.
ReligionBirthsConversionsNew adherents per yearGrowth rate
Christianity 22,708,7992,501,396 25,210,195 1.36%
Islam 21,723,118 865,558 22,588,676 1.48%
Hinduism 13,194,111 660,377 13,533,734 1.14%
Buddhism 3,530,918156,6093,687,5271.09%
Sikhism 363,677 28,961 392,638 1.87%
Judaism 194,962 -70,447 124,515 0.91%
Baha’i Faith 117,158 26,333 143,491 2.28%
Confucianism 55,739 -11,434 44,305 0.73%
Jainism 74,539 -39,588 34,951 0.87%
Shinto 8,534 -40,527 -31,993 -1.09%
Taoism 25,397 -155 25,242 1.00%
Zoroastrianism 45,391 13,080 58,471 2.65%
Global population 78,860,791N/A 78,860,7911.41%
By all the reliable sources, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. It has been verified by many independent sources, many of which are listed below.
CNN World News ( 14 November 1997 Report — See link below )
World Christian Database ( 200-2005 Survey — See link Below )
Foreign Policy ( May 2007 Report — See link Below )
And also, by many other websites like,
People’s Daily Online ( 2 Nov, 2006 — See link Below )
Islam is Growing ( — See link Below )
And, the number of adherents of Protestants and Catholics is decreasing. So, as people are accepting christianity, they are leaving it at a greater rate as reported in leading newspaper. The New York Times ( 25 Feb, 2008 Report — See link Below )
Therefore, as verified by indepedant news media, western sources and even by the christian organisation itself, Islam is indeed the fastest growing religion in the world.
Another answer
In short- By percentage growth: Unknown
By real person growth: Christianity
By percentage growth the fastest growing religions in the world are the smaller religions. This is because with a smaller sample size, every additional adherent accounts for a higher percentage increase.
Therefore, by percentage growth we are uncertain what the fastest growing religions in the world are. However, logically speaking with statistics in mind by percentage growth the larger religions including Christianity (2.2 Billion Adherents), Islam (1.3 Billion) and Hinduism (900 million) are the least likely to be the fastest by percentage growth. An example to illustrate this point is Deism in the United States of America. Although in the period of 1990-2000 it experienced a growth rate of 717% the amount of new followers was very small and the large percentage increase is attributed to a smaller sample size.
The alternative measure for fastest growing religion in the world is growth by the number of new adherents. That is, the religion to gain more new believers each period would be the fastest growing religion.
As it stands the fastest growing religion by this measure is Christianity. Using the most up to date figures we determine that on average in 2007 Christianity gained 7-8million more adherents than any other religion (i.e. Islam, followed by Hinduism at 17million less).
In conclusion, the fastest growing religion by percentage growth is unknown as smaller religions are not usually account for. By number of new adherents per period Christianity is the fastest growing religion.
A side note, any argument that a religion is true because it is the largest or fastest growing is a logical fallacy. The amount of adherents or growth rate does not imply validity.
Sources: World Christian Database, 2006 World Christian Encyclopedia, 2001 FastestGrowingReligion.tk
Another answer
Deists or Deism by 717% which was the religion of most founding fathers of USA.
Religion 1990 Est. Adult Pop. 2001 Est. Adult Pop. % of U.S. Pop., 2000 % Change 1990 – 2000 Deity (Deist) 6,000 49,000 +717%
Taken from Sullivan county website.
Another answer
According to the ARIS survey, “deity” at a growth rate of 717 is not the fastest growing. “Wiccan” (for example) had a growth rate of 1,550%. In America it was Wicca.
Another answer
By number of new adherents Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the world with 30,360,000 new adherents annually (from 2000-2005). This is followed by Islam with 23,000,000 new adherents annually and Hinduism at 13,000,000.
Islam.
Best answer:
Answer by Awesome Arcane Advent Avatar
No, we should not care.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
I didn’t realise that someone’s own personal beliefs had become nothing more than a popularity contest. lol
One imaginary sky creature is as good as any other.
The problem is how the conversions are made. It’s pretty easy to get people to convert if the alternative is bodily harm. It worked for the Christians throughout most of history and it’s working for the Muslims today.
Islam is the religion of the end times. When Christians are removed from the earth in the rapture of the church, Islam will spread over the planet like a dark hand. In other words, no, I’m not surprised at all.
No, Christians shouldn’t be worried as they have the fullness of the Divinity there to help them cope with anything and everything.
Jesus did teach us to not worry and to have total faith in Him.
Thank you, O most loving of Saviours.
That is yet another distortion of the truth. In fact according to Islam scholars Islam is losing to christianity in Africa.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2006/05/six_million_african_muslims_le.html
If you’re worried about it coming to America then its no where near you…. Have you seen ads these days? Mostly nude or semi nude. Music videos are encouraging sex, alcohol, money, and drugs. And teens are still having sex and getting pregnant. So pretty much its not growing in America. Its still corrupted as always. And most christians don’t even follow their religion.
Well, I am one of those Deistic types. Islam is growing slightly faster mainly due to higher birth rates in Islamic countries more than anything. The number of new adherents is roughly the same for Christianity and Islam. Longer term, I think the focus should be on living the love which Jesus and Mohammad were really about, if you peel away the cultural and ideological overlay. We may find the world is more a salad bowl of views on religion and philosophy, and finding ways to work together is the bigger matter.
Sir, why should we worry for our religion ? What so ever the religion has got good features that has to come up, but to prepare a merit list is not at all possible. The purpose of all the religions is the same, the salvation, then what makes any difference, if one gets it by this way or that way ? But I can say what you are suspecting is not at all going to happen.
It would be better if we think for our self only, whether we are on the right way or not in our own religion.
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Within the sight of these eyes of mine good many have departed.
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Farid! People have their own anxieties and I have my own.
{{{Bhagat Sheikh Fareed Ji, Salok Fareed Jee 1382}}}
However in this dark iron age of Kalyuga, it is better to choose the shortest way to get the target and that is:
If you chant the Naam, the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, the Messenger of Death will have nothing to say to you. O Nanak, the mind and body will be at peace, and in the end, you shall merge with the Lord of the world. ||1|| {{{Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Raag Aasaa 457}}}
Make the effort, and you shall live; practicing it, you shall enjoy peace. Meditating, you shall meet God, O Nanak, and your anxiety shall vanish. ||1|| {{{Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Raag Gujri 522}}}