Religion and Population

[Gregory Matthews]

By 2060 there will be slightly more followers of Islam than followers of Christ?

See:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/april-web-only/pew-muslim-christian-birth-rates-2035-2060-demographics.html?utm_source=ctweekly-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=16245031&utm_content=505458673&utm_campaign=email

 

[pierrepaul]

It is often difficult to predict demographic trends; especially religious trends. Demographic trends in the 1930s to 50s showed that French Canadian families were far outbreeding our English Canadian countrymen, and that the demographic weight of French speakers in Canada, and the Catholic nature of Canada, would be increasing. What was not foreseen was the "Quiet Revolution" of the 1960s where in the space of a decade, the French Canadian population embraced secularism, abandoned the churches and stopped having large families, such that one of the big concerns from the 1970s onward has been "how will Quebec and French Canada maintain its demographic weight and political influence?"

In the 1960s and 70s, many in the West were predicting the death of religion, as children of all faiths were leaving the faith of their parents. When the Ayatollah and his followers overthrew the Shah and control of Iran in 1979, it came as a shock to many that a religio-political movement could gain traction in the enlightened age of the late 20th century.

Then the 80s and 90s saw a resurgence in Canada and the USA of sorts in religion and spirituality of all types - Kabbalah Judaism, Buddhism, fundamentalist Christianity, charismatic Christianity - everything but so-called Mainline Protestantism (Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians), which continued to hemorrhage members. In Eastern Europe, some of the peoples freed from communism rediscovered the faith of their ancestors - whether it's a true faith or an assertion of national identity, I don't know - but I believe the Orthodox in the eastern lands and the Catholics in Poland are enjoying a minor renaissance. On the other hand at the Western extremity of the former communist bloc, the Czech Republic and East Germany, the people have not returned to church. These are among the most secular and atheist regions of Europe.

I know little about the Muslim world and have little idea what the next generation of Muslims will do with their faith. Will they secularize, moderate, radicalize? Will their birth rate continue apace? It's hard to tell. And as Christians, we believe that God takes a keen interest in these developments and has the power to intervene.

[Gregory Matthews]

Good questions!  Food for thought!

[JoeMo]

On 4/7/2017 at 2:40 PM, Gregory Matthews said:

By 2060 there will be slightly more followers of Islam than followers of Christ?

THere are other estimates out there that claim Islam will reach parity with Christianity by as early as 2050 or as late as 2100.  Muslims will be having more babies that Christians by 2035.  More people worldwide are already converting to Islam (not all of them voluntarily) than are converting to Christianity.  Of course, world events and major movements by the Holy Spirit and the evil one could drastically change these predictions.

As radical Islam has already proven, Muslims don't have to be a majority religion to forcibly take over a region or exert undue influence on a country or people group.