"Timeline of Various Religions:

HINDUISM 1500 B.C.
JUDAISM 1400 B.C.
SHINTO CA. 660 B.C.
TAOISM CA. 600 B.C.
BUDDHISM CA. 563 B.C.
CONFUCIANISM CA. 551 B.C.
CHRISTIANITY CA. A.D. 30
ISLAM CA. A.D. 622
SIKHISM CA. A.D. 1469"

http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/comparisons.html

Major Religions of the World
Ranked by Number of Adherents

"Christianity: 2.1 billion
Islam: 1.5 billion
Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
Hinduism: 900 million
Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
Buddhism: 376 million
primal-indigenous: 300 million
African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
Sikhism: 23 million
Juche: 19 million
Spiritism: 15 million
Judaism: 14 million
Baha'i: 7 million
Jainism: 4.2 million
Shinto: 4 million
Cao Dai: 4 million
Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
Tenrikyo: 2 million
Neo-Paganism: 1 million
Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
Scientology: 500 thousand"

http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

Fastest growing? this I found so many conflicting reports on as to make none of them seem credible... Islam is often cited as the fastest growing but the many sites that claim this all seemed to be connected to practitioners of Islam... wicca and pagenism were also popular choices for growth...

Sorry Anoasis, I dont really have to many thoughts on the topic, I'm too busy growing.

Adherents...hmmm, I would guess that the numbers of the top 2 would be much lower if people were really honest about adhering to instead of just labeling themselves, especially the Christianity number. Might end up shifting that decimal to the left 1-2 spots.

You are the two smartiest lady on this line--------wow

Well I know people from all over the world who are Christian, so I think the numbers are probably about right on that. But you must consider the different kinds of Christianity, because that includes Catholic, Baptist, and so many others.

Anoasis I told you I would be in the forums

christianity is older than Judaism when you consider the record of Abraham's conversation with I Am That I am! No days man between us and the Living Word has always been the truth. Religion is like a cultic memoir of observances, while the walk is always with the small still voice within all of us. The only caveat is that most people don't recognize the full value of the relationship that's available with the small still voice that teaches and guides willingly and happily to those that listen and apply their steps to the inspiration. Everyone hears Him, but not everyone heeds Him. Nothing to prove here.... we all know what I just said!

((((Bobby)))).... so nice to see you here!! You're so sweet...

Jess- I always love to hear your thoughts... whether they are similar to mine (frequently) or something I have never considered (always a delight)....

"growing"... how nice... I think I read somewhere: "be not afraid of growing slowly, be wary of standing still". I know it was in a Zen book but I don't have it here, must have left it at work...

Key- yes the difficulties in counting adherents was mentioned- so they just went with how people identified themselves, they did not set specific criteria because how can you? If someone says that they believe something you kind of have to take their word?

YUP!!!!!!

anoasis - ya forgot to mention that Christianity is declining, while Islam is increasing.

Go figure!

I ran across that website about a week ago, surfing the net, as usual. If I'm not mistaken they also break down the statistics for U.S. and Canada. Not exactly what I think most would expect.

yup... all that yelling alley achbar is attracting lots of fans...who could miss all that fun and fireworks? I'll give them this.....They love to get worked up over death and destruction.... What's not to like?

Hey, anoasis! you look great at 99!

I find it interesting that in any time line its also BC or AC which means hmmmmm before Christ or After Christ.......odd for one that so many believe doesn't exsist.

Redy;

It's so hard to determine the fasatest growing religion when there's a war that centers on religious idiology. I would guess that the numbers for Christianity are way down in the middle east - and due to people fleeing out of Iraq - Moslem/Islam way up in other countries. There is no doubt though that Islam conversion is on the rise. And often studies on Christianity reflect so many groups that are considered "fringe" christians, and even Cults, that it's almost impossible to qualify - or quantify numbers on adherents.

Hey Shutterbug!!! Glad you're not being so shy But you still have to keep writing to me... ooops I pretty much owe everyone an email don't i? Hmmm.... I'll get right on it in a minute...

Wouldee- I'm sorry I don't understand... how could Christianity be older than Judaism when Christ's parents were Jews? I must be missing something...

Kic- you mean that religion is "sold" here in the US? I definitely think christianity was marketed in the southern US.... I really don't care for televangelists in general but even before them to me there was certainly a circus or carnival/theatrical element to tent revivals, snake handlings and speaking in tongues. And the "healings"- maybe some really were "healed"- the mind is so powerful- but just watching was scary to me as a child....

Redy- I did find several mentions that both Christianity was declining and Islam increasing... but the ones I saw during my brief perusals seemed to be based on biased numbers from groups with an agenda so I left them out. And I wanted to see what everyone else had to say....

Wouldee- Thanks. I'm really looking forward to my centennial!!

FeralCat Lady- we had a long thread about the BC, AD convention for calendars in the western world (anni domini- not AC) and it's implications a few weeks ago if you would care to look it up... basically BC and AD were used by Europeans, who were primarily christians, and they conquered many other peoples and replaced their calendars with theirs... and now that the US and Europe are so dominant worldwide we have basically co-erced others to use our system...

Eljay- this count of Christians was quite inclusive- there were also breakdowns by sect on the page as well...

Anoasis-Was there a breakdown in the Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist category? Because folks that are atheist would not like to be grouped that way.

Wouldee-How is Christianity older than Judiasm? Abraham is one of the fathers of Judiasm. Check your Old Testament.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, is Unitarian a Christian sect?

Sigh...why can't we all enjoy each other beliefs and realize we are all on different paths to the same place.

M

Having just had this debate with two Hindu persons, they claim that Hinduism is AT LEAST 10k years old. They will say that the oldest "written" texts are at least 1500bc.

The same argument goes with Judiasism - its only been ~5800 yrs since the first Passover. Or in other words, roughly 6000 years of *written* history. Arguments are never ending if it was thousands or hundreds of years prior to Moses' big day - bringing an argument that says Adam was 10k years ago, in the same ballpark as Hindu claims.

Islam argues that the Jews/Christians got the essence right, but the details wrong, on the "true" lineage of all the biblical patriarchs. So in their own way lay claim to a similar 5800yr old written history.

Michelle-my-belle: As I understand, Unitarian tries to be the "non-offensive, non-sectarian" sect of Christianity.

Hear hear! "...why can't we all enjoy each other beliefs and realize we are all on different paths to the same place. "

Oasis and Michelle;

I think the point that Wouldee was trying to make is that Jesus - being the I Am - existed before Abraham. Therefore, the basis of Christianity existed before Judism in the manner of the object of Christianity existing before Judism - rather than the adherents who are known to be "Christians".

ditto,

In the book of John verse 8:58 Jesus says: “before Abraham was, I am” (KJV). In the use of “I Am” Jesus was implying he is the God of Judaism,