• Agustino
    11.2k
    The article here presents statistics from Pew Research.

    Just according to pure numbers, Islam is the world's fastest growing religion. What accounts for that growth however isn't Islam's converting power, but rather the breeding rate of Muslim population coupled with the "death for apostasy" policy, which unnaturally keeps people who should leave in the Muslim faith. Check the table below:

    58296.png

    The more important thing shown by this table is that apart from Islam and Christianity all the other religions will dwindle and see their share of the world's population and influence greatly reduced. By 2100, close to 70% of the world's population will be either Muslim or Christian, up from around 55% today.

    58292.png

    Buddhism and atheism (the religiously unaffiliated) will both decline, largely, in both cases, due to failure to reproduce. It seems that the pessimism associated with both (although in different directions) leads to a significantly lowered natality rate. Natural selection will play in favour of the religious who are bringing more children onto the Earth, and will therefore also inherit it.

    Atheism will convert more than any other religion, but to what use, its population will dwindle away. When hedonism and promiscuity reign supreme, children will not be brought into the world - and the price of extinction will be paid. Atheism's biggest gains will be in the Western world.

    Buddhism on the other hand suffers both from lack of conversions - it literarily has no mechanism capable to bring millions upon millions of people to the religion - and low natality rates. This was somewhat surprising, I expected Buddhism to become more popular, but this is actually not the case. It is a dying religion.

    Islam is expected to take over Christianity (just barely) by 2100 in terms of population.58295.png

    The most interesting is this table, showing conversions and people leaving each religion:
    58293.png

    This table seems to depict Christianity as the loser. In terms of purely conversions, Christianity nets a whopping loss of 66 million people in the next 40 years. Also in terms of pure conversions, Atheism is winning.

    However - it must be noted that Christianity will be able to bring in more converts than all the other religions put together - close to 1 million new converts ever year (total of 40 million), compared to Islam + Folk Religions + Other Religions + Hindus + Jews + Buddhists which will bring in a combined total of only 25 million (approx. 625,000/year).

    The Church has clearly set up a conversion mechanism like no other. And while Christianity is losing a whopping 2.5 million adherents every year, this is mostly due to losses in the West. Once Christianity manages to put an end to the Western leak, it will be on the path to dominate the next 500 years. And the leak will come to a close by itself. Atheists with their life denying philosophy - and it seems that their philosophy simply cannot be otherwise, for without the infinite hope of the afterlife, atheism has nothing much to offer - will not breed, and will willingly yield the earth over to those with infinite hope and faith. Not only this, but the Western world is currently rejoicing in relative material well-being - once the shit hits the fan, atheism, along with its permissiveness and licentiousness will come to an end.

    So why do I think that the future belongs to Christianity, even though Islam is the fastest growing religion? Because Islam (1) doesn't have the conversion mechanism of Christianity (bringing in just 325K people vs 1000K for Christianity), (2) its severe punishments for apostasy artificially lower deconversions and it will not be possible to maintain this forever, (3) Islam does not have access to capital and resources as much as Christianity, (4) the fact that large portions of Islam exist in war-torn regions makes them more prone to be heavily impacted by pandemics, droughts, and other natural disasters, (5) other religions will dwindle, and maybe even disappear from the Earth in the next 600 years.

    What do you think? What's the future of religions looking to be on the Earth? Which religions will be popular 100 years from now and why?
  • anonymous66
    626
    If I were a Christian, I'd be scared to death that God would leave us behind [like he did the Jews] and find another path for His will. (Romans 11:17)

    How long will a good God put up w/ His (self-proclaimed) followers putting wealth first and mistreating their neighbors [the message is, "sure, you can immigrate to flee persecution... just don't come here" and "oh, you're poor? Too bad, shoulda tried harder to be born into a good family."]

    I imagine telling my son about Christianity:
    Me: There is a cool religion that is all about a good God who sent His Jesus son to die in our stead. This God says that we ought to love one another as He loves us. His followers turn the other check when insulted. They love their neighbors as themselves. (Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all your heart... and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself) Jesus told them to give up all worldly possessions, and follow Him... (Matthew 19:21)
    Son: Where are those followers?
    Me: They all died a long time ago...

    When was the last time you saw a (self-proclaimed) Christian who did anything even remotely like the character of the tax-collector in the story of the 2 men who went to the temple to pray ( Luke 18:10)?
  • Noblosh
    152
    All I can say is, so what? Why should I give a damn?
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    All I can say is, so what? Why should I give a damn?Noblosh
    Because you will be living in that world, so you need to take this into account. Maybe you're not happy that this is the case, and you want to change it. Or maybe you're like me, and you're asking yourself how you can help Christianity achieve this.
  • Mongrel
    3k
    A new global religion will emerge sometime in this century and absorb both Islam and Christianity.
  • Noblosh
    152

    Why would I care which denomination will achieve religious monopoly? I don't even buy into religion.
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    A new global religion will emerge sometime in this century and absorb both Islam and Christianity.Mongrel
    Impossible - very very unlikely. Why would you say that?
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    Why would I care which denomination will achieve religious monopoly? I don't even buy into religion.Noblosh
    Because, for example, say Islam achieves it, and people vote for an Islamic theocracy where you have to convert to the religion, then you yourself, who don't accept it, will be forced to join it.
  • Noblosh
    152

    And why is Christian theocracy any better? In fact, why is any decision taken by the demos any better?
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    In fact, why is any decision taken by the demos any better?Noblosh
    demos? What demos?

    And why is Christian theocracy any better?Noblosh
    Ah, so then you do give a damn about what happens with religion and atheism in the future.
  • Mongrel
    3k
    Impossible - very very unlikely. Why would you say thatAgustino

    Christianity seems like fairy tales. A Christian church is a museum. It's so just that many haven't noticed that yet.
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    It doesn't follow that another religion would emerge from that.
  • Noblosh
    152
    The demos are the people. No, I don't give a damn about the God conundrum, I just wish all this foolishness surounding it would stop already.
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    No, I don't give a damn about the God conundrum, I just wish all this foolishness surounding it would stop already.Noblosh
    So you do give a shit about it. Thanks for recognising.
  • Noblosh
    152
    Oh, so the question was if I give a shit about foolishness? Then, of course yes, that affects everyone. I'm not sure what you're thanking me for though.
  • Mongrel
    3k
    doesn't follow that another religion would emerge from that.Agustino

    Sure it does.
  • Noblosh
    152
    Yes, the threat of an ideocracy will be always there, that's what we should try to prevent.
  • Thorongil
    3.2k
    Interesting stats. (Y)
  • Buxtebuddha
    1.7k
    I think the religion Mongrel is referring to will look a lot like Noblosh's avatar. Apathetic, bored, passive aggressive, and claiming to have read "that fucking book" even though the drool has soiled the ink.

    On topic, Christianity's growth includes fundamentalist Protestant denominations herding the dumb and uneducated in SEA, South America. and southern Africa, which is not going to save what's already being hemorrhaged. Pentecostalism vs. moderate Islam, hoo boy, I better start popping the popcorn now.
  • Thinker
    200
    Why would I care which denomination will achieve religious monopoly? I don't even buy into religion.Noblosh

    Because Islam will not permit this forum!
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    On topic, Christianity's growth includes fundamentalist Protestant denominations herding the dumb and uneducated in SEA, South America. and southern Africa, which is not going to save what's already being hemorrhaged.Heister Eggcart
    Yes, but the uneducated are an important source of converts. Those are the battlegrounds that all religions are actively seeking to win over.

    How else would you suggest stopping the haemorrhage*?

    The haemorrhage will stop naturally. Christianity needs to get rid of those people who aren't actually Christians in the first place. This cleaning is more than welcome in my eyes. They are free to go waddle in their permissive atheism, natural selection will take care of them.

    It's better to know who your enemy is and have him far away from your breast, than hold the snake close so that you get bitten. In a certain way, the permissiveness of modern liberal Western culture is a blessing in disguise. Because they fear no shame and there is no compulsion in religious adherence, the wheat will be separated from the chaff by itself.

    If I was the Pope, I'd be adamant about this. An important job of the Church should be to find a mechanism to even speed up the process of removing fake believers from within. A wolf in sheep's clothing is more dangerous than even a pack of wolves! What is necessary are people who are totally committed to the traditions of the Church, to its history, to living moral lives, and to God.
  • Thinker
    200
    How else would you suggest stopping the haemorrhage*?Agustino

    The only way to defeat Islam is to expose the character of Muhammad. Islam cannot be beaten militarily, economically or politically. Those battles are long past – although still pursued in vain. It must be shown that Muhammad is a pedophile (he had sex with a nine year old girl), murderer (he beheaded people), slave dealer (created and sold), illiterate psychopathic and morally bankrupt prophet with a sword? Muhammad is touted as the ideal man. The fact is, he is quite the opposite.
  • Thorongil
    3.2k
    Well said. It's ultimately an ideological war, but that said, I think destroying ISIS, supporting the benighted liberal democratic movement within the Muslim world, and punishing countries that fund terrorism with sanctions are still very important.
  • Thinker
    200
    It's ultimately an ideological warThorongil

    We as philosophers are on the front lines of this war. We are both the generals and foot soldiers in this war. We have an important function to play. Most importantly, we have an obligation to civilization to maintain and advance the dialog of what is right and moral. We must not abdicate or abstain from this job.
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    destroying ISISThorongil
    ISIS is also an ideological virus. This means that there is no ISIS headquarters that can be bombed and ISIS would be eradicated. If we dropped nukes on Syria and wiped them out, we'd still have terror attacks in the West from people claiming to be affiliated with ISIS.

    We as philosophers are on the front lines of this war. We are both the generals and foot soldiers in this war. We have an important function to play. Most importantly, we have an obligation to civilization to maintain and advance the dialog of what is right and moral. We must not abdicate or abstain from this job.Thinker
    Excellent statement, I agree.
  • T Clark
    14k
    Economic factors will have a much bigger impact on how things go in the future than religion. It's happening now. As poor countries become wealthier, Western countries' share of the wealth goes down, even if their standard of living does not. Formerly poor countries will take on a greater power role in the world. We will have less of a say in how things go. In terms of overall humanity, it's a good thing.
  • T Clark
    14k
    We as philosophers are on the front lines of this war. We are both the generals and foot soldiers in this war. We have an important function to play. Most importantly, we have an obligation to civilization to maintain and advance the dialog of what is right and moral. We must not abdicate or abstain from this job.Thinker

    My goodness, you have an amazingly inflated opinion of how much what we say here matters. In what way are you "on the front lines?"

    The fact that you, Agustino, and your ilk are so afraid of Islam shows the emptiness of your ideas. You just want to keep what's yours and make sure no one else gets their share.
  • Buxtebuddha
    1.7k
    If I was the Pope, I'd be adamant about this. An important job of the Church should be to find a mechanism to even speed up the process of removing fake believers from within. A wolf in sheep's clothing is more dangerous than even a pack of wolves! What is necessary are people who are totally committed to the traditions of the Church, to its history, to living moral lives, and to God.Agustino

    What is the "Church"?
  • Thinker
    200
    My goodness, you have an amazingly inflated opinion of how much what we say here matters. In what way are you "on the front lines?"T Clark

    What rules the world? Money – military - politics – religion – movies – art – literature - ? What is common to all these things? Ideas. Ideas rule the world – always have and always will. Ideas breathe life into any institution. Civilization is only an idea. Ideas are our life’s blood. The philosopher's job is paramount and profound - one that is needed now more than ever.
  • Agustino
    11.2k
    What is the "Church"?Heister Eggcart
    The body of Christ, the cumulative number of faithful Christians. But, for the sake of this argument, you can take it as just the Catholic Church, which is a clear cut institution.
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