Christians: what does it feel like to be in the overwhelming minority of people on Earth?

Question

Actually, no matter what you believe, at least 80% of the world disagrees with you. Here's a map that shows the world's population broken down by faith:

http://www.boredstop.com/atlasfaith.htm

There are more than twice as many atheists/agnostics as Protestants on Earth - who knew?

What the hell makes any believer so confident they are right? If at least one person on Earth is correct about God, shear probability dictates that you (and I) are wrong.

So if were all wrong anyway, why not choose the freedom of atheism/agnosticism? I mean, you have just as much to loose following your own religion as being an atheist, but atheism has no silly rules like keeping the sabbath holy and not eating shellfish, etc.

(Yeah, this is sorta a Pascal question, so you may drink if you wish!)

Oregon: Let's apply some logic. 2 Billion Christians. 6.8 Billion people. Christians are way short of being in the majority, so if they are not the majority, therefore they must be in the ______________.


Also, the Pope says the Catholic Church is the only true way to Heaven. Evangelials say the Catholic Church is not a 'bible believing' church. Christians can't agree and are divided about their beliefs.

So what ever Christian belief you share, millions and millions of Christians disagree with you.

YY4ME: Yeah, it's all about perspective. The majority is not always right. Imean, the majority of Americans voted for Bush in '04.

I'm guessing that many Christians, especially American Christians who live in pockets where they hardly ever encounter a non-Christian, don't realize that most of the world rejects their beliefs; even other Christians reject what they believe.

If Christians really understood how out numbered they were, I wonder how it changes their perspectives. I don't expect people to drop their faith becuase of these numbers, just think on those numbers for a while.

Answer 1

These numbers are rather comforting! Living in America, especially in Texas, its easy to think I am the only one with any brains!

Answer 2

The numbers never bother me, as a sociologist I know that any one an manipulate any number to suite their own purpose

Let me address you last statement:

"So if were all wrong anyway, why not choose the freedom of atheism/agnosticism? I mean, you have just as much to loose following your own religion as being an atheist, but atheism has no silly rules like keeping the sabbath holy and not eating shellfish, etc."

You are "betting" that a atheism is correct and so therefore I should go a head and have more fun in this life. But what if we flipped that. What if Christians are right, aren't atheist better off believing and hedging their bets? If they are right and there is no after life they have lived a pretty good and moral life, still filled with fun and laughter and love and when they die they die. If they are wrong and Christians are right then they have lived a good moral life filled with laughter and fun and love and now get to spend eternity in the company of God. But if they do not believe they could end up spending eternity in hell

I would take my chances on there being a God

Answer 3

"Christians: what does it feel like to be in the overwhelming minority of people on Earth?"
I wonder about how Gideon felt when the whole world seemed to be against him? Or Elijah when he thought that he was the only believer left?

God seemed to only pick certain people in the world to move His promises through history. And if I get to be one who does that in these times, then I feel less like waning in faith, and more grateful to the point of hardly being able to retain it.

"What the hell makes any believer so confident they are right?"
I can only answer for myself on this question. I have had an experience with the Spirit of God that I found unforgettable. There was no one else to see me when it happened, there was no TV camera to capture the experience, there was no one to witness my conversion from Agnosticism except those I told afterwards.

That is the proof that so many ask about that eludes them. The proof that God is real. It is something that I repeat in response to many questions:

God has the proof, and He decides who He gives it to.

So when I turned my trust towards Him, I got the proof I needed. He gives me the understanding of the scriptures, not all and not without study, but according to what He figures that I need. And I trust Him for that to this day. I know his voice as Jesus promised that I would, and will not follow another, as he also promised.

"So if were all wrong anyway, why not choose the freedom of atheism/agnosticism?"
If after I recieved the conviction through God's Spirit, and all those other things He showed me, how logical would it be for me to do that?

Answer 4

Some "overwhelming minority" - that's one single religion that speaks for one out of every three people on the face of the Earth!

As for your attribution of all dark greys as atheists - the map does not make that claim. Most non-religiously affiliated people in most census surveys in the no-religion demographic will describe themselves as "spiritual." You can at best claim about thirty percent of their actual number.

And even there, check out the grey block geographies - that's mostly because of communist countries where religion has been banned or where adherents had long been persecuted like the former Soviet block or China: in areas with religious freedom, atheist penetration is actually much lower.

BTW, the population of the Earth is not 6.8 billion, just FYI. You've overestimated by about, oh, half the population of South America.

Answer 5

If I understand the point you're making, many christians say that they're right because there are so many more of them in the U.S. than those with other beliefs. Never mind that christian is an umbrella term that covers hundreds, if not thousands, of sects that disagree with each other (otherwise there would be only one christian religion), they say that their numbers make them right. You're merely proving them wrong on a global scale. I don't think that you believe that the number of adherents makes a valid argument. You're just using their own tactic against them. Or, did I miss something?

Answer 6

Catholics are Christians, which according to the pie graph, would make us 22.9% of believers. That makes Christianity the largest piece of that pie.

Sure, we may have some differences, but the same could be said for any other belief or non-belief. Not all Athiests think alike. Each is individual with his/her own standards and ethics.

Even if any other piece of that pie were bigger than Christianity's, it would not bother me. I respect what other people believe, so if they disagree with me, that is fine. You bring up a good point, though, that every believer/non-believer thinks that they are right. Sure, no one can be 100% sure that they are right and that their belief/non-belief is correct. That is called faith. Thanks for sharing.

Answer 7

I couldn't care less if Christians are in the majority or not. IS the majority always right? No.

Besides, I've been an atheist. I was one for most of my life. Not going back. I'm perfectly happy being a Christian. I feel more free as a Christian than I EVER did before.

Thanks for you concern though. *Smile*

Answer 8

I'd really love to see how those surveys are conducted... as I am meeting so many people who disagree with religion...

I think god believers still dominate (all faiths combined), but not as much. The power of old mythologies is, indeed, diminishing (just not fast enough for me! lol)

Edit: Your point is valid, I think many american christians do not realize that the vast majority of the world reject their beliefs...

Answer 9

Christians are very good at ignoring everyone else; they believe that their religion is the only religion. With such ability to casually invalidate every other person or opinion, the majority is easily discounted by them.

That having been said, there are notable exceptions to this rule, of course. What I've written above is a generalization, but a merited one, considering American conservative Fundamentalism.

Answer 10

I don't worry about it since truth is determined by correspondence with reality, not by popularity.

"What the hell makes any believer so confident they are right?"
Preponderance of the evidence. It seems more likely that I got my consciousness, intelligence, love, senses of morality and beauty, free will, etc. from a being that has them and can give them than from matter that does not. Also, it seems more likely that the universe is orderly and that there are natural laws because there's something directing it all rather that unguided, unconscious matter somehow does that all by itself.

Answer 11

Well it's a whole lot like learning that you are a poor farmer's daughter.
I had no idea until the kids at school told me, and the ONLY thing it changed was that I learned something new.

Why not choose the freedom of the unbeliever? Well now, that would be outside of God's will for my life..........