Why do Muslims keep claiming Islam is the fastest growing religion...?

Question

...when statistics show that in absolute numbers, Christianity is the fastest growing religion, and in relative terms the growth of secularism outpaces even the fastest growing religion, Baha'i

In no sense is Islam the fastest growing world religion. Why do so many Muslims feel the need to lie about this?

I'll do the bazillion quotes from News agencies one better - I'll give you the actual raw statistics.

http://www.bible.ca/global-religion-statistics-world-christian-encyclopedia.htm

Answer 1

Interesting question. Maybe they got their numbers from the Encyclopedia Britannica yearbooks -- where I got mine. Here's what it showed. I'm including Baha'i since someone questioned your stats:

from 1990-2000 the number of adherents of Christianity increased from 1,758,778,000 to 1,974,181,000 worlwide, a 12% increase. Muslims increased from 866,000,000 to 1,155,109,000, a 33% increase. And Baha'is increased from 5,300,000 to 6,932,000, a 31% increase. Now, if you look at the span from 1980-2000, Christianity and Islam are almost equal (98% and 96% respectively) and Baha'i is only 39%.

And, to the poster from Philadelphia -- there are Baha'is in Philadelphia. Should I ask them to contact you? :-)

Answer 2

now now slow down, from where did u get ur statistics?

Islam.

Fastest-growing religion

kneeling

The second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, Islam is also the fastest-growing religion. In the United States, for example, nearly 80 percent of the more than 1,200 mosques have been built in the past 12 years.

Some scholars see an emerging Muslim renaissance as Islam takes root in many traditionally Christian communities.

Islam has drawn converts from all walks of life, most notably African-Americans. Former NAACP President Benjamin Chavis, who joined the Nation of Islam recently, personifies the trend.

"In societies where you have minorities that are discriminated against, I think they may find an appeal in Islam," said Waleed Kazziha of American University in Cairo.

Many moderate Islamic countries such as Turkey and Egypt are becoming more conservative.

Two decades ago, few middle-class Egyptian women wore scarves or veils on their heads. Now they crowd into special emporiums that advertise Islamic clothing.

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now just because number of christians is more than that of muslims it does not suggest that Islam is not the fastest growing religion. Christianity have been around b4 Islam, that is why as for now there are higher percentage of Christians than Muslims. however, if u do look at proofs(above) Islam is growing faster than any other religion.

btw next time u decide to make a point, do hav a solid proof for it...thank you!

Answer 3

Well, firstly, Christianity is not the fastest growing religion. It's not even the slowest growing religion. It isn't growing at all. The number of Christians has decreased over the last ten years, and is still doing so. In terms of growth, Islam is number one, followed by non-religion (atheism, agnosticism.)

Answer 4

...because it is

"Fastest-growing religion


The second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, Islam is also the fastest-growing religion. In the United States, for example, nearly 80 percent of the more than 1,200 mosques have been built in the past 12 years. "
-info. taken from cnn article ( article found in source box)

Answer 5

Well no matter what religion you are, you can find statistics saying its the fastest growing.. though I highly doubt that Baha'i is faster growing than any other one, I dont know one single follower of the Baha'i faith and I live in Philadelphia....

However, Islam IS growing fast... gunpoint conversions help :|

Answer 6

It's true. More people are willfully converting to Islam, and more children are being born into Islam. Other posters have provided you with proof.

(Nobody is ever forced to convert. Gunpoint my @55!)

I noted you did not give any backup for your statistics on Baha'i.

Answer 7

One day a Muslim will come to you, put a sword at your head and say

PRAISE ALLAH OR DIE

And you will learn WHY it is becoming one of the fastest growing religions, athough we have to admit AIR PLANE CRASH FATALITIES are taking a slight toll on them!

But that was planned for!

Answer 8

Wishful thinking? Or maybe they're trying to convert those they consider sheep? Come, jump on the bandwagon, you're going to be outnumbered anyhow, might as well join!
Other than that, I couldn't tell ya.

Answer 9

You are kidding, they out number Christians by a long shot. I know because the bible says the children of the bond woman (HAGAR) WILL really out number the children of the married woman (SARAH).AND they will be a thorn in our sides forever, I mean here on earth. they will be a mad man and no-one will be able to do anything with them. It's in the OLD TESTAMENT.

Answer 10

I think people are going based on secular, unbiased reports that show that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.

There are also reports that show that Christianity, Buddhism, Bahai'sm, and atheism are the fastest growing religions--you're totally right. But there are many reports saying Islam is the fastest growing religion, so it is perfectly reasonable to believe these reports, but it's also reasonable to believe reports to the contrary.

To suggest that people are lying is unecessary, however. As a Muslim, I find that quite offensive. It is quite evident that Islam is one of the fastest growing religions both in the U.S. and in the world, and that's reported in many legitimate and well-respected studies and media sources. Whether it is THE fastest growing religion is debatable and people are entitled to their own beliefs.

For example...

CNN: http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9704/14/egypt.islam/
"The second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, Islam is also the fastest-growing religion. In the United States, for example, nearly 80 percent of the more than 1,200 mosques have been built in the past 12 years."

ABC News: http://www.iol.ie/~afifi/BICNews/Islam/islam21.htm
(Sorry, couldn't find the original)

"Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability for many of our people..."
HILLARY RODMAN CLINTON, Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1996, p.3

Already more than a billion-people strong, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. ABCNEWS,
Abcnews.com

"There are more Muslims in North America then Jews Now." Dan Rathers, CBSNEWS

"Islam is the fastest growing religion in North America." TIMES MAGAZINE

"The religion of Islam is growing faster than any other religion in the world." MIKE WALLACE, 60
MINUTES

"Five to 6 million strong, Muslims in America already outnumber Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Mormons,
and they are more numerous than Quakers, Unitarians, Seventh-day Adventists, Mennonites, Jehovah's
Witnesses, and Christian Scientists, combined. Many demographers say Islam has overtaken Judaism as the
country's second-most commonly practiced religion; others say it is in the passing lane." JOHAN BLANK,
USNEWS (7/20/98)

"In fact, religion experts say Islam is the second-largest religion in the United States... Islam has 5 million to 6
million members, followed by Judaism, with approximately 4.5 million..... And Islam is believed to be
fastest-growing religion in the country, with half its expansion coming from new immigrants and the other half
from conversions." By ELSA C. ARNETT
Knight-Ridder News Service

The above articles are old, so look at these more recent ones...

MSNBC: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3067495/
(2001)

PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/muslims/
(2005)

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/islam_around_the_world/html/usa.stm

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
(Studies by Samuel Huntington, Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance quoted)
U.S. State Dept says there are 1.48 billion Muslims worldwide

"Islam is growing faster numerically than any of the other major world religions. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance estimate that it is growing at about 2.9% annually, as opposed to 2.3% per year global population growth. Most of this growth is due to the high population growth in many Islamic countries (six out of the top-ten countries in the world with the highest birth rates are majority Muslim."

Also, Muslims have had the greatest increase in number between the years of 2000 and 2004. According to the CIA World Factbook, the number of Muslims in the world grew by 0.58%. Christianity grew by 0.15%, Buddhism by 0.04% and Sikhs by 0.01%. All of the other religions either stayed the same or decreased.

CIA Factbook from Feb. 2003 - http://web.archive.org/web/2003021012385...
CIA Factbook from current edition - http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/fact...

Barrett & Johnson's estimated in an article in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research that the number of Muslims would grow from 1.22 billion in the year 2000 to 1.89 billion by 2025

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_past_20011005_b.jhtml
Oprah: An estimated 6 million Muslims call America home, making it the fastest growing religion in the country.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/growth_isl_chr.htm
Religious Tolerance (Growth Rates of Christianity and Islam)

Note: DUDE YOU QUOTED A RELIGIOUS SITE. OBVIOUSLY THEY WILL BE BIASED. I QUOTED ONLY SECULAR, UNBIASED SOURCES. AND I QUOTED MANY, WHILE YOU QUOTED ONLY ONE.