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The fastest Growing Belief System in the World!!

tumbleweed41

tumbleweed41

Resident Liberal Hippie
Recently, in quite a few threads, differing claims have been made as to what is the "Fastest growing belief system in the World". As if being the 'winner' somehow gives credibility to that belief system.

As Mark Twain said, "Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable."

Here are some statistics many use to support their claims.


  • Wicca- According to The American Religious Identification Survey, Wicca had an average annual growth of 143% for the period 1990 to 2001. Which make it, according to some, the fastest growing belief system in America.
  • Islam- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Islam is the fastest growing belief system in the world. However, according to a Pew Institute study, "there is insufficient data available on religious conversion from its own findings given the complexities of identity and the difficulties of obtaining data: Statistical data on conversion to and from Islam are scarce. What little information is available suggests that there is no substantial net gain or loss in the number of Muslims through conversion globally.." (Source)
  • Hinduism- 80% of the population of India identifies as Hindu, this represents 90% of Hindus worldwide. With a 20% growth rate worldwide, Hinduism is often claimed as the fastest growing religious identification in the world.
  • Christianity- Pentecostalism, according to the Pew Forum, has grown from 72 million in the 60's, to over 525 million in 2000. LDS is showing a growth rate between 30% to 50% per decade. And in Vietnam, protestant Christianity has grown by over 600% in the last decade.
  • Deism- The American Religious identification survey claims that Deism grew in the United States by over 717% between 1990 and 2001. The fastest growing belief system in the US for that decade, according to the study.
  • "None's"- According to the same study, those identifying as "None" or no religion, represent the largest growing non-specific belief system in the US at a current 8.4% to 14.1% of the country. Other studies in Australia and other western countries have also shown "no religion" as the fastest growing response to polls.
  • Buddhism- many polls and studies have show Buddhism to be the fastest growing spiritual belief system in the western world. The Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Buddhism to be the fastest growing belief system in Australia at an annual growth of 79.1%.
Many other studies and statistics show differing results. With Baha'i, Falun Gong, and Left-Hand, among others, claiming the top spot.


So what is the "Fastest Growing Belief System in the World"?



It depends on how you read the statistics, and which study one reads.


One thing to keep in mind, a growing number of adherents to a belief system does not necessarily mean that belief system is correct.
:shrug:
 
Trey of Diamonds

Trey of Diamonds

Well-Known Member
tumbleweed41 said:
One thing to keep in mind, a growing number of adherents to a belief system does not necessarily mean that belief system is correct.
:shrug:
Click to expand...

Right, neither Scientology nor the Flying Spaghetti Monster are real but both have a growing number of adherents. At least FSM is a benign belief system.
 
tumbleweed41

tumbleweed41

Resident Liberal Hippie
9-10ths_Penguin said:
Whatever it is, it's not on your list, because it's one that somebody just came up with today.

Going from zero adherents to one adherent in a day (or over any span of time) works out to an infinite growth rate.
Click to expand...
You hit the nail right on the head with that one.:yes:
 
waitasec

waitasec

Veteran Member
tumbleweed41 said:
One thing to keep in mind, a growing number of adherents to a belief system does not necessarily mean that belief system is correct.
:shrug:
Click to expand...

"honey, why did you do that?"
"well, cause i was with tommy and i felt pressured"
"so if tommy jumped off a cliff, would you?"
"no"

why do the truths we teach our kids become obsolete?

:rolleyes:
 
PolyHedral

PolyHedral

Superabacus Mystic
9-10ths_Penguin said:
Whatever it is, it's not on your list, because it's one that somebody just came up with today.

Going from zero adherents to one adherent in a day (or over any span of time) works out to an infinite growth rate.
Click to expand...
Only for the instant after the religion is created. Otherwise, it would be (number of adherents)/(lifespan of religion).
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
PolyHedral said:
Only for the instant after the religion is created. Otherwise, it would be (number of adherents)/(lifespan of religion).
Click to expand...

That would be if you define "fastest growing" in terms of average linear rate. I was thinking of it in terms of average exponential rate, since that's how I'm used to calculating growth.
 
idav

idav

Being
Premium Member
I can't really tell by all the stats that are around. To me just seems that most groups are holding pretty steady though Muslim, Buddhist and Non-Religious do report a bit of an increase. Though by the stats below doesn't seem like Non-Religious grew as much as I thought.

Christian 33.35% (of which Roman Catholic 16.83%, Protestant 6.08%, Orthodox 4.03%, Anglican 1.26%), Muslim 22.43%, Hindu 13.78%, Buddhist 7.13%, Sikh 0.36%, Jewish 0.21%, Baha'i 0.11%, other religions 11.17%, non-religious 9.42%, atheists 2.04% (2009 est.)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html
 
tumbleweed41

tumbleweed41

Resident Liberal Hippie
In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, England and Scotland, over 535,127 respondents identified as Jedi in recent censuses'.

Growth fast, is in those countries...
 
Twilight Hue

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Belief systems are not very practicable. Buddhism should remain low on the stat board.
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
tumbleweed41 said:
In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, England and Scotland, over 535,127 respondents identified as Jedi in recent censuses'.

Growth fast, is in those countries...
Click to expand...

FWIW, the Canadian census has a problem (well, I think it's a problem) that causes the non-religious to be underreported: for the "religious affiliation" question, it instructs respondents who are currently unaffiliated with any religion to answer with the religion they were raised in.
 
tumbleweed41

tumbleweed41

Resident Liberal Hippie
9-10ths_Penguin said:
FWIW, the Canadian census has a problem (well, I think it's a problem) that causes the non-religious to be underreported: for the "religious affiliation" question, it instructs respondents who are currently unaffiliated with any religion to answer with the religion they were raised in.
Click to expand...
And to be honest, many of the respondents to the census who answered 'Jedi', did so in protest of the religious affiliation question.
Jedi census phenomenon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
F0uad

F0uad

Well-Known Member
tumbleweed41 said:
Recently, in quite a few threads, differing claims have been made as to what is the "Fastest growing belief system in the World". As if being the 'winner' somehow gives credibility to that belief system.

As Mark Twain said, "Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable."

Here are some statistics many use to support their claims.


  • Wicca- According to The American Religious Identification Survey, Wicca had an average annual growth of 143% for the period 1990 to 2001. Which make it, according to some, the fastest growing belief system in America.
  • Islam- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Islam is the fastest growing belief system in the world. However, according to a Pew Institute study, "there is insufficient data available on religious conversion from its own findings given the complexities of identity and the difficulties of obtaining data: Statistical data on conversion to and from Islam are scarce. What little information is available suggests that there is no substantial net gain or loss in the number of Muslims through conversion globally.." (Source)
  • Hinduism- 80% of the population of India identifies as Hindu, this represents 90% of Hindus worldwide. With a 20% growth rate worldwide, Hinduism is often claimed as the fastest growing religious identification in the world.
  • Christianity- Pentecostalism, according to the Pew Forum, has grown from 72 million in the 60's, to over 525 million in 2000. LDS is showing a growth rate between 30% to 50% per decade. And in Vietnam, protestant Christianity has grown by over 600% in the last decade.
  • Deism- The American Religious identification survey claims that Deism grew in the United States by over 717% between 1990 and 2001. The fastest growing belief system in the US for that decade, according to the study.
  • "None's"- According to the same study, those identifying as "None" or no religion, represent the largest growing non-specific belief system in the US at a current 8.4% to 14.1% of the country. Other studies in Australia and other western countries have also shown "no religion" as the fastest growing response to polls.
  • Buddhism- many polls and studies have show Buddhism to be the fastest growing spiritual belief system in the western world. The Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Buddhism to be the fastest growing belief system in Australia at an annual growth of 79.1%.
Many other studies and statistics show differing results. With Baha'i, Falun Gong, and Left-Hand, among others, claiming the top spot.


So what is the "Fastest Growing Belief System in the World"?



It depends on how you read the statistics, and which study one reads.


One thing to keep in mind, a growing number of adherents to a belief system does not necessarily mean that belief system is correct.
:shrug:
Click to expand...


If i am correct your source is this:

Claims to be the fastest-growing religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

However at the start it clearly says this:

Many different religions currently or previously have claimed to be the fastest growing religion. The world's largest religions that are showing increases that outrun birth-rate include Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. There is often little coverage of the "unaffiliated" category (which includes deists, agnostics, atheists, and theists) although some evidence suggests they are growing rapidly. The fastest growing religion is Islam.
 
BruceDLimber

BruceDLimber

Well-Known Member
While the Baha'i Faith is still numerically small at around seven million adherents, I can provide you a couple interesting facts about it:

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in terms of where its adherents live, since 1991 the Baha'i Faith has been the second most widespread religion! The numbers:

RELIGION................NUMBER OF LOCALITIES

Christianity......................140,000
Baha'i Faith......................110,000
All other religions...........90,000 or fewer

And the World Christian Encyclopedia cites the Baha'i Faith as the fastest-growing religion among those already established in over 100 countries.

Finally, a few specifics:

YEAR...........NUMBER OF BAHA'IS
1863......................0
1892................50,000
1921...............100,000
1963...............400,000
1985.............5,400,000
1994.............6,000,000
present..........7,000,000

Best! :)

Bruce
 
dyanaprajna2011

dyanaprajna2011

Dharmapala
Nowhere Man said:
Belief systems are not very practicable. Buddhism should remain low on the stat board.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking. I'd rather not see Buddhism high on the list, and especially seeing Buddhists trying to get it there. I don't understand the need to try to prove one's religion is the fastest growing; this doesn't lend a belief system any more credibility.
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
F0uad said:
If i am correct your source is this:

Claims to be the fastest-growing religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

However at the start it clearly says this:

Many different religions currently or previously have claimed to be the fastest growing religion. The world's largest religions that are showing increases that outrun birth-rate include Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. There is often little coverage of the "unaffiliated" category (which includes deists, agnostics, atheists, and theists) although some evidence suggests they are growing rapidly. The fastest growing religion is Islam.
Click to expand...
That last sentence is no longer in the article. It seems that you happened to check it just after someone had unscrupulously edited it in.
 
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