I'm asking this question from ignorance, if you think there's someting i don't know then show me.
2007-12-05 08:46:55 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Buddhism has a lot of followers but not necessarily in america and in most western countries.
2007-12-05 09:05:38 · update #1
the peaceful religions are less noticable, this is why i think they have the least followers. that's why i'm asking this question so people can prove me wrong.
2007-12-05 09:08:16 · update #2
Buddhism has a lot of followers.
2007-12-05 08:50:01 · answer #1 · answered by Jeff S Phoenix_AM 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
actually it seems like some of the most peaceful religions actually have quite a large number of followers. They just are not quite as loud and annoying as the ones that like to cause wars, preach hate, and kill anything and everything that is not the same as them. The peaceful simply relax and let everyone do what they want to do.
Or they realize that all the others will just kill each other and they will be all that's left =] either way...
2007-12-05 17:00:44 · answer #2 · answered by Lorena 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Matthew 7:13, 14 shows broad and spacious is the road leading to destruction but the narrow gate is cramped leading to life. That is why the largest are the most violent and the smaller [that is following Bible commands] is peaceful. For that peacefulness is one of the hallmarks of true religion. (Colossians 3:12-17; Philippians 1:9)
2007-12-05 18:23:58 · answer #3 · answered by grnlow 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Dear Grace,
Interesting question, but puzzling.
What gives you the impression that "peaceful religions have the least number of followers"?
What statistics have you come across, and about which religions. And which religions do you think are "the most peaceful"?
For example, the members of the Shaker religion in the 19th century were very much pacifists, didn't believe in war, and so on. And they have pretty much died out, but not because of pacifism, but because they didn't believe in marriage and child-rearing. So they counted on new recruits to add to their ranks. But after awhile, new recruits stopped coming. So . . .
Anyway, please tell us more about what has given you this impression?
2007-12-05 16:55:11 · answer #4 · answered by Catherine V. 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Simple. Big religions got large numbers of people because these people were afraid to die to violence.
Example:
Christianity is the world's biggest religion, at 33%, I believe. The Crusades took place to convert people to Christianity. One of the motives of the conquest of America was to spread Christianity. All those who converted were saved, all those who didn't perished horrible deaths. The Inquisition is another example.
2007-12-05 16:58:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Sounds good.
I noticed someone mentioned that Buddhism has a lot of followers - well they've been around for 2500 years AND their stuff makes sense and it does NOT rely on faith.
Interesting that Scientology fits into your paradigm.
LOLz
.
2007-12-05 16:57:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many centuries of forced conversions and war have made the 2 biggest religions as big as they are
2007-12-05 18:01:21 · answer #7 · answered by Moo 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses?
2007-12-05 16:51:07 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The peaceful ones are quiet, non-prosyletizing, and much larger in other parts of the world and not too small in the US, either.
2007-12-05 16:55:58 · answer #9 · answered by Amy R 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The group with the fewest members is the group going to Heaven.
2007-12-05 16:54:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋