Which is Most Likely to be the World's Largest Religion in the Near Future?

[LoTrobador]

I'd love to, but today probably isn't the day. One example is the Platonic forms, a weird idea that permeates both religions. For instance, whenever believers talk about "True Christianity" or "True Islam," they're making unsubstantiated assumptions about the nature of reality that go right back to Plato.

I can't actually recall seeing any criticism of Platonic influence on religions, except maybe for Jehovah's Witnesses' criticism of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, so I'd love to read what do you see as negative in this influence, should you have more time later.

 

[LoTrobador]

Yeah, the moment I saw it I thought of some French guy smoking in front of a cafe thinking about the meaning of life.

Well, this famous Frenchman had a photo taken on Lithuanian sand dunes.

 

[fallingblood]

There isn't even a debate. It's known that Islam is growing at a faster rate than any other religion, but not by conversion, by birth into muslim family. World stats show it in black and white. The only group growing faster than islam is "non-religious", but the numbers are way too small for them to become a predominant group any time soon.

Actually, Christianity is growing faster. The idea that Islam was growing faster was actually first purported by Muslims, and ended up catching on. However, the data does show that most likely, Christianity will continue to grow faster with more new adherents, for at least the next 5 decades if modern trends continue. It will be quite some time before Islam over comes Christianity.

 

[McBell]

Actually, Christianity is growing faster. The idea that Islam was growing faster was actually first purported by Muslims, and ended up catching on. However, the data does show that most likely, Christianity will continue to grow faster with more new adherents, for at least the next 5 decades if modern trends continue. It will be quite some time before Islam over comes Christianity.

Source please.

 

[Laika]

As this deals with the near future, I voted Islam. but the atheist-agnostic group will make an appearance eventually.

 

[Ashraf]

Islam

 

[SkylarHunter]

I would say materialism because even though it is not a religion, people worship the things money buys more than anything else in this world.

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

Well, which one? I'll withold my opinion for now.

We're already there--socialism. The parallels are scary, and the biggest one is chucking reason and open-mindedness for blind faith.

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

I would say materialism because even though it is not a religion, people worship the things money buys more than anything else in this world.

Close. With socialism, you have the government steal from some and give it to others....so they can buy more.

 

[Ingledsva]

Well, which one? I'll withold my opinion for now.

For the near future it will remain pretty much the same.

However the emerging trend is to Spirituality, without religious dogma.

*

 

[psychoslice]

Well I believe because people are waking up to what is true and what isn't, will start to lean towards a way of life such as Buddhism, they will discover themselves, and not be dictated to follow someone's else's beliefs, especially from hundreds or thousands of years ago, I cannot think of any other religion that would suite the serious seeker of the future.

 

[Tiapan]

Atheism will be the major growth ideology this century, religions evolve and splinter and reform randomly as they dither with the facts of nature discovered by science, but will continue but slowly diminishing. As information, education and the internet allow more to see different points of view, then the probability of eventually learning the ability to think for them selves can be acquired and allowing them to break away from dogmatism.

Critically, information is a two edged sword, information on the net is cheap. Any one can get up and tell you the sky will fall in tomorrow and present much eccentric evidence to prove it. One still needs the skill to critically analyze it and seek alternate points of view to be able to discern which information is of greater value and truth from fiction. People tend to like information that reinforces their current view no matter how obscure, but are often not game to look at the alternative ideas and do some critical thinking.

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

Atheism will be the major growth ideology this century....

And the only other reasoned approach to the existence of God, deism. Neither will likely spawn a church (except for some irrational hyphenated offshoots) because neither can be exploited, manipulated or demagogued--unless someone finds a way to demagogue reason, in which case more power to him.

 

[psychoslice]

I would hate to see atheism or religion having the monopoly.

 

[Jumi]

Non-religious or Islam will be the largest in next 50 years.

 

[psychoslice]

Non-religious or Islam will be the largest in next 50 years.

I hope not.

 

[Jumi]

I hope not.

Just reading the trends.

 

[psychoslice]

Just reading the trends.

I see, its not a good picture is it ?.

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

I would hate to see atheism or religion having the monopoly.

I don't want anything to have a monopoly by force, but a religion or philosophy that values reason and holds up Truth as its God (the highest value or entity) would be a blessing for the world if that was voluntarily universal. Tradition is not its own justification, and holding on to it in that way causes irrational strife.

 

[Marisa]

"Over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest religious group, but Islam will grow faster than any other major religion. If current trends continue, by 2050 …"
The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 | Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project