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The Popularity of Different Religions since 1945

dianaiad

Well-Known Member
It probably wouldn't be too hard to make a spreadsheet animation swapping this to as a percentage of the world population. Neat little project I may take a stab at.

It would be fun to see. I could do the bar chart, but there's no way I could animate it, and that's what made it fun to look at, no matter how accurate (or appropriate) the information is. who can resist good animated bar charts?
 

We Never Know

No Slack
This is really startling to watch the data change over time!
I wasn't sure where to post this, so I posted it in general religious debates.

World population =7,731,028,893

By the figures in your video the total of religious people adds up to =5,714,481,157

Now there are 2,010,067,488 kids ages 14 and under in the world. How many of them that are in that 5,714,481,157 are forced to play along with their parents religious beliefs?
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
This is really startling to watch the data change over time!
I wasn't sure where to post this, so I posted it in general religious debates.
A very eye-opening graphic, I must say!

But the thing that the outsider (that's me) can't understand is how anyone can imagine that if there really is a God, and if that God really does want believers who understand what they believe -- how in heaven or on earth is it possible that, no matter religion you happen to belong to, the vast majority of all human beings alive, or who have ever lived, think that yours is the wrong one?

For me, this is an absolutely foundational question.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
What...no Mormons? (hint...we ain't Protestants...)

As it happens, in 1945 there were 979,454 of us. As of 2018, there are 16,313,735 of us. Although the growth rate has shrunk to 2% or a bit less over the last few years, we are still growing, and guess what?

That's about six times the world population growth rate. Even at a measly 2% growth rate lately, it still outstrips the world population growth rate, by at least a little bit.

And no, we don't count dead people.

Just gettin' a word in there. Haven't a clue why, just....wanted to do it. I do have to wonder why that chart, which included some rather offbeat and far less populated groups, didn't include us. (sniff) I'll bet the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and a couple of others might want to have a say, too. They aren't Protestants either, and if someone is going to divide Christianity into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, where DO they put the folks who aren't either one, but are Christian?

(shrug) As I said....I"m just sayin'
You beat me to the punch, @dianaiad. I suspect that we, along with the other non-Catholic, non-Eastern Orthodox and non-Protestant Christians actually did get lumped in with the Protestants. It's kind of annoying, too, how we're classified as "Christian" or as "non-Christian" depending upon what point someone's trying to make, and not according to how we see ourselves.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
I wouldn't think so, Hinduism can be compatible with atheism, or so I believe.
Atheism is simply the disbelief in god or gods, not disbelief in everything.
Yeah, I agree. IMHO, Hinduism is compatible with atheism, that is why I am a atheist Hindu. Atheism is not denial of everything. As far as we know, we started as a ball of energy at the time of Big Bang. That is what we can term as Brahman.

"The model describes how the universe expanded from a very high-density and high-temperature state, and offers a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of phenomena, including the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), large-scale structure and Hubble's law (the farther away galaxies are, the faster they are moving away from Earth)." Big Bang - Wikipedia

That is how my grandfather explained it in his "Vishweshwara Smriti" (1947).

"Brahmanastu samutpannah jagaduktam purātanaih, navyā vidyutakanotpannam manyate tadashamshayam." (1.22)

(In older times, they said the universe arose out of Brahman. People of today, believe that to have arisen from sparks of energy, that is without doubt.)
For me, this is an absolutely foundational question.
Very easy. Remember what Buddha said in "Kalama Sutta", the Buddhist charter of free inquiry:

"Kalamas, Do not go .. nor upon what is in a scripture (piṭaka-sampadāna) .. nor upon the consideration, The monk is our teacher (samaṇo no garū)." Kalama Sutta - Wikipedia

Accept only what has evidence.
 
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dianaiad

Well-Known Member
You beat me to the punch, @dianaiad. I suspect that we, along with the other non-Catholic, non-Eastern Orthodox and non-Protestant Christians actually did get lumped in with the Protestants. It's kind of annoying, too, how we're classified as "Christian" or as "non-Christian" depending upon what point someone's trying to make, and not according to how we see ourselves.

Noticed that, did you?

(grin)

Amazing how (and it's not just us...the JW's and others have very similar 'gripes' coming) we are counted as "Christian" when it serves a point, and thrown back under the bus when THAT does.

Kinda like how evangelicals are all up in arms about how Christians are persecuted and beheaded in Muslim nations, but if they WEREN"T being beheaded, those Christians aren't. Christians, that is. Makes one want to go all over cynical, it does.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
A very eye-opening graphic, I must say!

But the thing that the outsider (that's me) can't understand is how anyone can imagine that if there really is a God, and if that God really does want believers who understand what they believe -- how in heaven or on earth is it possible that, no matter religion you happen to belong to, the vast majority of all human beings alive, or who have ever lived, think that yours is the wrong one?

For me, this is an absolutely foundational question.
Indeed... and to me, that implies that certain popular creeds are demonstrably naive and misguded precisely because they fail to explain such a self-evident fact in any reasonable way.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
Such trends matter not a jot, unless one is of the belief that one's own religion will be the winner (which is a ludicrous belief if any was). If we looked objectively at the freedom to believe what one wanted to - not so available in so many countries - and where religions are essentially just passed on from father/mother to child, then the long-term trend probably would be a lessening of belief in religions - of all kinds - as people become more educated and aware. Do we really think that enforcement (as in indoctrination of children) or cultural pressure (also essentially enforcement) are the ways of the future?

I think the desire and need for freedoms might just trounce such things - even if it takes longer than necessary. :rolleyes:
 

URAVIP2ME

Veteran Member
Such trends matter not a jot, unless one is of the belief that one's own religion will be the winner (which is a ludicrous belief if any was). If we looked objectively at the freedom to believe what one wanted to - not so available in so many countries - ............................
I think the desire and need for freedoms might just trounce such things - even if it takes longer than necessary. :rolleyes:

I find in Scripture it teaches that people will oppose people to believe what they want - Matthew 10:22
However, we are all free to act responsibly toward God or not, regardless of opposition.
People are free to mock God or mock people who want to serve God.
It may be their culture or cultural bias that puts up barriers.
If everyone on Earth lived by and practiced the Golden Rule, then who would need to be free of loving neighbor as oneself____________ - Leviticus 19:18
The opposite of loving one's neighbor is Not a good desire, nor the need to be free of loving one's neighbor.
 

MikeDwight

Well-Known Member
I Don't register ANY of this data by this shadow organization "Data is Beautiful". So stupid. So shady! What are they counting?! There's a million confucianists through all time. whatever. what in the United States? Just about the only thing I can find to note is an 80's population boom in the Middle-East would sort of make sense. What are they counting?!

Check US Census Data the years, 1900, 1950, today.
5 million Presbyterians, I'm forgetting honestly, I'm going to say 7 million 1950 Presbyterians. There's 1.8 million Presbyterians today with 500% the people from 1900. Rocked by political inhibition, intrigue.
 

firedragon

Veteran Member
That data is only predictions for future religion based on 2010-2013, not at all like the video.

Oh yes. You're righy. It's not the same. I didnt think about that. I think historical data will have to be constructed by taking the numbers from somewhere brother. I'm sorry I was mistaken.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
Such trends matter not a jot, unless one is of the belief that one's own religion will be the winner (which is a ludicrous belief if any was). If we looked objectively at the freedom to believe what one wanted to - not so available in so many countries - and where religions are essentially just passed on from father/mother to child, then the long-term trend probably would be a lessening of belief in religions - of all kinds - as people become more educated and aware. Do we really think that enforcement (as in indoctrination of children) or cultural pressure (also essentially enforcement) are the ways of the future?

I think the desire and need for freedoms might just trounce such things - even if it takes longer than necessary. :rolleyes:
I beg to disagree. The trends are nice to be aware of, for several reasons. Most of which derive from the contrasting characteristics of various creeds, which reflect quite clearly in political trends.
 

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
This is really startling to watch the data change over time!
I wasn't sure where to post this, so I posted it in general religious debates.

Just one point. Popularity and numbers does not equate necessarily to influence.

I would venture to state in my humble view that the most influential religion of our times has been the Baha’i Faith. Only those, and only those who are fully aware of the scope of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah would know this.

It was He Who called for an ‘all embracing assemblage of men’ we’ll nigh one hundred years before the establishment of the UN, concepts such as equality between men and women began with Tahirih a Babi in Persia who has said ‘you can kill me but you cannot stop the emancipation of women’ in the 1840’s, the concept of the oneness of religion was established by Baha’u’llah after which decades later inspired movements such as the World Parliament of Religion and interfaith, the concept of one global village was taught by Baha’u’llah long before it became a common term, world citizenship also is a basic tenant promoted by Him that us now just beginning to take root, one world Auxilliary language gave inspiration to languages like Esperanto and so on.

This post would assume gigantic dimensions if I were to go into detail to try and explain to the reader, however unaware they may be, of the unmistakable enormous influence the Revelation Of Baha’u’llah has had on humanity.

While blacks and women had been denied the vote and slavery and apartheid ruled and oppression enveloped the world long before, Baha’u’llah was proclaiming from Prison

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.

And

The earth is but one country and mankind it’s citizens.

Those who have researched this topic will be aware of just how influential the Revelation of Baha’u’llah has been and continues to exert on humanity. Not one village, town, city, state or nation, not one organisation whether it be a political, economic or sporting body has not been influenced to a very large degree by these teachings.

The oneness of humanity, set in motion by the Pen Of Baha’u’llah, is being established by the people of the world with their full acquiescence and agreement,
 
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