The incipient implosion of Islam ( Christianity is Growing Quickly in Muslim Countries )

WorldnetDaily.com ^ | 01/23/2007 | Jim Rutz

[SirLinksalot]

The incipient implosion of Islam

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Let me start you off with a brief, exciting story about a jailbreak in Iran that beats anything Hollywood will do this year. And it's all true! Read about it here. Now, that was just a quick peek at the human drama and divine power you never hear about – despite the millions of noisy words pouring out of the media on Iraq, Iran and the Islamic menace.

Last February, Joel C. Rosenberg gave us another astonishing glimpse into the real Muslim world:

Last week I took my wife and kids to see the Egyptian premiere of "Narnia" in Cairo. The film was as wonderful as we had hoped. But I must confess that far more interesting to me than watching digital lions and beavers come to life was being in a theater jam-packed with Muslims mesmerized by a thinly-veiled parable of Jesus Christ, penned by one of the 20th century's greatest Christian writers. Every seat was taken, and when we left, the theater's lobby could not contain all those hoping to get into the 10 o'clock show. The same was true in the spring of 2003 when ... Muslims packed movie theaters throughout the Middle East to see Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." They were watching Jesus teach. They were watching Him suffer and die and rise again. They were crying – sobbing, in many cases – as they continued to flood the theaters night after night.

Doesn't sound much like the Muslim jihadists you see in the liberal media, does it? Those media know what sells papers and draws viewers: Conflict. Scandals. Outrage. Violence. Hatred. Head-on collisions between groups and nations. Anything else may get short shrift.

For instance, did the liberal media tell you about the Reconciliation Walk? From 1996-1999, teams of Christians trekked along the same route that the Crusaders did 900 years before – from Cologne, Germany, to Jerusalem. About 2,000 marchers, cycling in and out, visited Muslim and Jewish villages and cities. And as they went, they wore T-shirts proclaiming in Arabic or Hebrew, "I apologize" and called out, "We're sorry." Astonished Muslims poured out of their homes and into the streets, many of them applauding and cheering wildly, some of them weeping. The marchers were hugged warmly and invited in for dinner. City mayors welcomed them with heartfelt, emotional speeches. That beats bullets six ways to Sunday.

But now it's all gone and forgotten, buried under millions of conflict-promoting words.

Well, I do believe in staying the course in this messy war against Islamism – because many militant Muslim leaders understand nothing but force. But now Mr. Rosenberg has just brought us fresh data, reminding us of how the Holy Spirit is outpacing any progress we could make with guns:

More Muslims converted to faith in Jesus Christ over the past decade than at any other time in human history. A spiritual revolution is under way throughout North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia: Iraq: More than 5,000 new Muslim converts to Christianity have been identified since the end of major combat operations. ... Also, more than 1 million Bibles [were] shipped into the country since 2003, and pastors report Iraqis are snatching them up so fast they constantly need more Bibles.

Afghanistan: only 17 Muslim converts to Christianity before 9/11/01, but now more than 10,000.

Kazakstan: only three known Christians in 1990, but now more than 15,000.

Uzbekistan: no known Christians in 1990, but now more than 30,000.

Iran: In 1979, there were only 500 known Muslim converts to Christianity, but today Iranian pastors and evangelical leaders tell me there are more than 1 million Iranian believers in Jesus Christ, most of whom meet in underground house churches.

Sudan: More than 1 million Sudanese have converted to Christianity just since 2000, and some 5 million have become Christians since the early 1990s, despite a radical Islamic regime and an ongoing genocide. ... Why such a dramatic spiritual awakening? "People have seen real Islam, and they want Jesus instead," one Sudanese evangelical leader told me.

But perhaps the most startling picture that Rosenberg gives us is from Egypt:

Egypt: Some reports say 1 million Egyptians have trusted Christ over the past decade or so. The Egyptian Bible Society told me they used to sell about 3,000 copies of the JESUS film a year in the early 1990s. But last year they sold 600,000 copies, plus 750,000 copies of the Bible on tape.

The shocker is that 600,000 figure. Each circulating copy of JESUS in the Mideast will, on average, draw about 4.1 Muslims into a saving relationship with Christ. Do the math!

I think our troops are winning, but I know Jesus is winning.

[Rhiannon]

I read this before but would like actual sources to verify the statistics on the number of conversions.

[warsaw44]

same here. I don't believe it at all.

[Edgerunner]

bump for Jesus...

[Borges]

"Doesn't sound much like the Muslim jihadists you see in the liberal media, does it?"

Is he claiming that the liberal media is going out of their way to portray Muslims in a BAD light?

[day10]

I sure hope so.

[Continental Soldier]

While I often check-in with WND, I know it has it's own Christian agenda. Because of that, the substance of this item must be treated skeptically.

[SirLinksalot]

Here is one source :

Encyclopedia of Islam Myths:
Islam is not the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam is the dominant religion of the third world where the birth rate is high. In these same Countries, Muslims are killed if they convert to Christianity.

	Islam: Truth or Myth? start page

Comments and Observations:

Introduction:

The Islamic religion has a long history of myth making. The claim they are the fastest growing religion in the world is pure myth. We have collected the latest statistics from David A. Barrett’s huge two volume, "World Christian Encyclopedia", the 2001 AD edition. In case you haven’t heard of this work, it is the world standard for religious statistics.

Muslim's claim that their growth rate is 235 percent and 47 percent for Christianity. This statistic came from the Readers Digest Almanac and Yearbook 1983, and represents 235 percent increase over 50 years. Muslims always leave off the 50 year fact to make it appear they are going 235% every year. A simple review of the readers Digest study shows that the growth rate of Islam vs. Christianity is directly linked to the birth rate in Third World countries where Islam dominates and not actual conversions to each religion. Christianity has always been larger than Islam. These statistics from Readers Digest are over 20 years old. Further, we do not consider readers digest to be an authority on such matters. Why will Muslims not quote real authoritative statistics from certified research groups who show Islam is not the fastest growing religion in 3/4’s of the worlds countries.

1. There are over a billion Muslims in the world today, including 3 to 5 million in the U.S., making it the second most populous religion on earth after Christianity. According to some estimates, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. (The Joy of Sects, Peter Occhigrosso, 1996, p394-397)
2. Islam is the religion which has developed from the preaching and life of Muhammad, a citizen of the city of Mecca in Arabia, who early in the seventh century of the Christian Era appeared as a preacher of monotheism to his own people and founded a religious movement which today counts perhaps as many as 300,000,000 followers, mostly in the heat belt from Indonesia to Morocco. (Islam: Muhammad and His Religion, Arthur Jeffery, 1958, p xi-xiv)

Before we examine the true facts from informed statisticians, we want to make it clear that we are not claiming Christianity is the fastest growing religion on earth. Such a claim is a needless as it is irresponsible. Having said this, in terms of sheer numbers, there are more Christians being added to planet earth, than any other religion on earth, including Islam. (see Table 1-2 for proof.)

Relative size and growth of Islam to Christianity:

• From Table 1-1, there are 1.9 Billion Christians making up 31% of the world population, whereas there are only 1.2 Billion Muslims making up only 20% of the population. It seems that Allah's little trick by making Judas appear like Jesus, so Jesus could escape crucifixion and Judas was crucified in his place, kind of backfired, since 31% of the world's population never learned Allah played a trick and really believes that Jesus not only died, but was raised from the dead! This should be most troubling for Muslims to think that "Allah's deception" (Qur'an 4:156) actually became the world's largest religion!
• From Table 1-1, the relative growth rates of Islam to Christianity are compiled from data that ended the very year before the great terrorist attacks of 911 against the world trade towers in 2001 and the train bomb in Spain in 2004. Statisticians are predicting that Islamic motivated terrorism will last the decade and bring Islam into great disrepute with the world population. This will have a very strong dampening effect on the long term predicted Islamic growth rates for the years 2025 and 2050.
• From Table 1-1 you can see that the world growth rate of Muslims is 2.13, and for Christians it is 1.36. A closer look reveals, however that the birth rate of Muslims world wide, is literally double that of Christians. This is due to the fact that Muslims are largest in the developing world where dirt floors, thatched roofs and large families are common. When you the actual conversion rate, where men chose their religion, rather then are born into it, you can see that Christians are converting, on a percentage basis, almost twice as many as Muslims (1.7:1). This means that individual Christians are out converting Muslims almost two to one! What this means, is that as third world Muslim controlled countries gain the advantages of education and technology found in the Western world, their birth rate will drop off to match that of the West, but Christians will still continue to out convert them at a rate of 1.7:1.

  	Total adherents	New from conversion	Number of adherents to make one new convert:
  Muslims	1,188,242,789	865,558	1,372
  Christians	1,999,563,838	2,501,396	799

• From Table 1-1 you can see that while Muslims claim they are the fastest growing religion in the world (2.13), the statistics say that Baha'is are growing at a faster rate (2.28) and faster still are Zoroastrians (2.65).
• From Table 1-1 regarding world distribution, you can see that Islam is only in 204 of the worlds 238 countries. Christianity, on the other hand is in all 238 countries of the world. Christianity has a 100% penetration rate world wide!
• From Table 1-2, you can see that presently every 24 hours, the world population of Christians increases by 69,000, whereas there are only 68,000 Muslims. The only reason Muslims are anywhere near Christians is because of higher birth rates in the parts of the world where Muslims are largest. The vast majority of the 69,000 Christians will be educated, whereas the majority of the 68,000 Muslims will be illiterate peasants without clean drinking water.
• From Table 1-4, you can see the relative growth rates of Christianity vs. Islam broken down into 6 continents. In each of the 6 continents, Christianity enjoys a wider distribution of countries.
• From Table 1-4 the continent "Africa" we observe that Christianity slightly larger but is growing at a much faster rate than Islam. Although the birth rates are about identical, individual Christians are making twice as many converts as Muslims. In the African continent, Christians are both the largest and fastest growing in relation to Islam.
• From Table 1-4 the continent "Asia" we observe that although Islam is 25% and Christianity is only 10% of the population, again Christianity is growing at a must fast rate. Even the Jews are growing at a faster rate (2.99) than the Muslims in Asia! While birth rates for Muslims are higher than Christians, individual Christians are 13 times more effective at making new converts than Muslims. In the Asian continent, Christians are growing faster than Muslims.
• From Table 1-4 the continent "Europe" we observe that while Muslims are growing faster than Christians, Buddhists claim the prize for the fastest growing religion at a rate of 1.39. Muslims make up only 5% of the population in Europe and most of the Muslim growth in Europe is from immigration. Although 77% of Europeans are Christians, Buddhists, not Muslims, are the fastest growing religion in the continent of Europe.
• From Table 1-4 the continent "Latin America" that we observe that while Muslims (1.99) are growing faster than Christians (1.63), they make up only 1/3 of 1% (.3%) of the population, whereas Christians are 92 % of the population. The down trend in Christianity conversion is mainly defects from Catholics to non-religious. It must be troubling for Muslims to know that although they are growing faster than Christians, Baha’is are growing much faster than Muslims at a rate of 2.87! In the Latin American continent, Christians make up 93% of the population. Although tiny Islam is fastest growing faster than Christianity, it is the Baha’is, who take the prize for fastest growing the Latin America.
• From Table 1-4 the continent "North America" we observe that while Muslims are growing faster than Christians, they make up only 4% of the population, whereas 84% are Christians. Most of the Muslim growth in North America is from immigration. Canada alone immigrates more Muslims apart from the USA, to account for almost all the growth in all of North America every year! It sure must be a hollow boast for Muslims to claim they are the fastest growing religion in North America, when it is because of the kindness and generosity of Christians who let them immigrate, often fleeing the persecution between hostile Muslim sects. There are still 50% more Jews in North America than Muslims in 2004. Muslims lie when they tell you they are the fastest growing (1.56) religion in North America. From Table 1-4, we can see that they are no better than 5th place in growth behind: Atheists (3.51), Hindus (3.13), Sikhs (2.81), Buddhists (2.75), Baha’is (2.25). We tire of the lies and myth making of Islamic spin doctors.
• Muslims claim they are the fastest growing religion in Canada, based upon the National Census: 1971: 33,000; 1981: 98,000; 1991: 253,000. But from Table 1-4 shows that there were less than 11,000 Muslims in Canada in 1900! Sure on a purely statistical basis, dividing the small initial numbers by those added by immigration, they come out on top, but that’s because of the kindness of the Christians who let them into their country! It is a myth that Muslims are converting any measurable numbers of non-Muslims. The most common reason somone converts to Islam is through marriage. These same individuals would have converted to be Jews or Christians, if that was their new spouses religion.
• From Table 1-4 the continent "Oceania" we observe that Christians represent 83% of the population and Muslims are a miniscule 1%.Yet the facts are that in Oceania, Muslims are indeed growing at a fast rate than Christians at 3.04. But the fastest growing religion is "new-religionists" at a staggering rate of 9.02, followed by Buddhists at 5.19, then Sikhs at 3.55, then Zoroastrians at 3.18. Muslims are no better than the 5th fastest growing religion in Oceania!

  Conclusion:
• There are more new Christians added to the world population than any other religion on earth every day. This data makes the entire discussion about "rates of growth" irrelevant. The fact is today, that Christianity is the fastest growing religion on this most critical basis. This may change, but today, in 2004 AD, Christians take the prize for being the fastest growing religion.
• On none of the 6 continents are Muslims the fastest growing religion.
• That Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world is pure myth at best and at worst a deliberate deception of solid statistical facts.

  Written by Brother Andrew

   

  

   

  Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA

[texas_mrs]

Wow. Maybe we should put more assets towards this style of winning the war against radicalism. Truly a reason for hope.

[SirLinksalot]

People may not give Pat Robertson's media much credence, but here is their report for what it's worth ...

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http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/News/030819a.aspx

FAITH
A Tidal Wave of Christianity
By Dale Hurd
CBN News Sr. Reporter



CBN.com – September 11th focused a lot of attention on the growth of Islam. What most pundits and scholars have missed is the incredible growth of Christianity, and where it's growing. Today more Presbyterians worship in the African nation of Ghana than in Scotland. And more Anglicans worship in Nigeria than in Britain.

We like to think of ourselves as the Christian West. But there is growing evidence that the center of Christendom has moved.Africans are running to accept Jesus Christ. It is a scene playing out all across the developing world. It may sound like an exaggeration, but it's not: Christianity is sweeping across the southern hemisphere and Asia like a tidal wave.

"The scale of Christian growth is almost unimaginable," said Dr. Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State University.

Jenkins shocked and probably panicked some of America's political and media elite with his acclaimed book, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Jenkins argues the greatest movement of the past century was not communism or capitalism. Do the math and the winner is spirit-filled Christianity, or what he terms in his study as "Pentecostalism."

"The modern Pentecostal movement begins at the start of the 20th century," Jenkins said. "So say this begins with a few hundred, a few thousand people today you're dealing with several hundred million people, and the best projections are by 2040s or 2050s, you could be dealing with a billion Pentecostals worldwide. By that stage there will be more Pentecostals than Hindus. There are already more Pentecostals than Buddhists."

Jenkins says in just 20 years, two-thirds of all Christians will live in Africa, Latin America or Asia.

"Back in 1900, there were about 10 million Christians in Africa, representing about 10 percent of the population. Today there are 360 million, representing just under half the population. That is one of the most important changes in religious history, and I think most of us didn't notice it," he said.

A lot of people still haven't noticed it. When scandal or controversy hits an American church, the U.S. news media tends to treat it like a worldwide crisis for that denomination. But it is not a crisis for those churches in the developing world. Most of them are not gripped by debates over homosexuality or abortion that is a problem for European and American liberals they believe the Bible.

"The Bible is alive in Africa and Asia and Latin America," Jenkins said. "Overwhelmingly, the kind of Christianity is one which is very Bible-centered, which takes the Bible very seriously, takes authority very seriously, both the Old and the New Testament, in a way which I don't think western Christianity has done probably since the Enlightenment."

But the growth of Christianity threatens Islam, and Christians are being slaughtered in places like Nigeria and Indonesia. Jenkins thinks the conflict will intensify in nations where the two faiths compete. And he debunks the notion that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Christianity is growing faster.

"If you look at the 25 most populous countries in the world in the mid-21st century, 20 of those are going to be divided to a greater or lesser extent between Christianity and Islam," Jenkins said.

Then there is China. There are about 80 million Christians in China, according to former Time Magazine Correspondent David Aikman, who predicts China will be a Christianized nation in 20 to 30 years. He does not predict a Christian majority, but a China that is 25 to 30 percent Christian. Enough, he says, to change society and government.

"If you have a Christianized China, the leadership of China would reflect a Christian worldview to some degree," Aikman said. "A China that's Christianized would not be a threat to the United States."

And Aikman says the Chinese church leaders have a burden to take the gospel the rest of the way across the globe, to the Muslims.

"It's part of a sense that they call back to Jerusalem," Aikman said. "They believe that just as the gospel originally came out of Jerusalem and went to the West and to North America and Europe and came to China, now the Chinese need to bring it back to Jerusalem, not in the sense of evangelizing the Jewish, but in the sense of completing the circle so that the gospel message is available to everybody in the world."

Imagine Chinese reaching the Muslims, Koreans evangelizing Indians, Africans taking the gospel back to a largely godless Europe.

African Matthew Ashimolowo is the pastor of the fastest growing church in England. "God is sending people who used to receive missionaries to now be missionaries around the world," Ashimolowo said.

Kenyan Bishop Gilbert Dya has one of the largest churches in London. "I am in this country, believing that God sent me here in Great Britain to make a voice on His behalf to let them know that they need to repent and come back to God," he said.

The developing world is not only a growing base for world missions, Jenkins says it is becoming the center of Christendomagain.

"Jesus said His church would last until the end of time. He never used the word, Europe. Christianity is returning, I think, to its roots. It is a religion that originated in the Middle East and in Africa. Perhaps it went away for a while, but now it's back," Jenkins said.

[Namyak]

For instance, did the liberal media tell you about the Reconciliation Walk? From 1996-1999, teams of Christians trekked along the same route that the Crusaders did 900 years before – from Cologne, Germany, to Jerusalem. About 2,000 marchers, cycling in and out, visited Muslim and Jewish villages and cities. And as they went, they wore T-shirts proclaiming in Arabic or Hebrew, "I apologize" and called out, "We're sorry."

This disgusts me. The Crusades were a last-ditch attempt to defend Christian lands against the hordes of Muslim barbarians who were spreading their faith by the sword. Unfortunately they came too little too late, and lost focus due to the fractured nature of the Christian West and East. The people we should be apologizing to died long ago in defense of their homelands.

[A. Pole]

Kazakhstan: only three known Christians in 1990, but now more than 15,000.

Complete BS. Muslims make only half of Kazakhstan population. I am afraid that author counts as Christian the converts to his Protestant sect. And probably most of them are lapse Christians from traditional churches.

There are 6 million of Orthodox Christians and more than 300,000 of Catholics. Just the number of Poles who are Catholic is above 100,000!

[MeanWestTexan]

" The Crusades were a last-ditch attempt to defend Christian lands against the hordes of Muslim barbarians who were spreading their faith by the sword. Unfortunately they came too little too late, and lost focus due to the fractured nature of the Christian West and East. The people we should be apologizing to died long ago in defense of their homelands."

Yep. Article lost me there, as well.

Wasn't Vienna nearly conquered?!

[SirLinksalot]

See also here :

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/09/weekinreview/09good.html?ex=1263013200&en=75c169ad9704c297&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

EXCERPT....

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The world's fastest growing religion is not any type of fundamentalism, but the Pentecostal wing of Christianity. While Christian fundamentalists are focused on doctrine and the inerrancy of Scripture, , what is most important for Pentecostals is what they call "spirit-filled" worship, including speaking in tongues and miracle healing. Brazil, where American missionaries planted Pentecostalism in the early 20th century, now has a congregation with its owns TV station, soccer team and political party.

Most scholars of Christianity believe that the world's largest church is a Pentecostal one - the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, which was founded in 1958 by a converted Buddhist who held a prayer meeting in a tent he set up in a slum. More than 250,000 people show up for worship on a typical Sunday.

"If I were to buy stock in global Christianity, I would buy it in Pentecostalism," said Martin E. Marty, professor emeritus of the history of Christianity at the University of Chicago Divinity School and a coauthor of a study of fundamentalist movements. "I would not buy it in fundamentalism."

After the American presidential election in November, some liberal commentators warned that the nation was on the verge of a takeover by Christian "fundamentalists."

But in the United States today, most of the Protestants who make up what some call the Christian right are not fundamentalists, who are more prone to create separatist enclaves, but evangelicals, who engage the culture and share their faith. Professor Marty defines fundamentalism as essentially a backlash against secularism and modernity.

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[Wings-n-Wind]

It's really about their "book"....
THATTTTTTTT...... is where the Izzy-lam's feet of clay remian vulnerable....

The lack of verifiable historicity, the near non-existent record of textual transmission through the centuries...

The Izzylam-book is BOGUS...
Once the feet of clay are broken-- this thing will fall apart...

JMHO

[elcid1970]

I was deployed to Uzbekistan, visited a Catholic church in Samarkand, saw a large Orthodox church. Uzbeks proudly informed me they practiced a tolerant form of Islam [Sufism] or didn't practice at all.

There were more than zero Christians in Uzbekistan in 1990 (though seventy years of communism didn't help).

And this Crusades guilt-walk? Gimme a break.

[auntyfemenist]

There may be a lot of converts, but not enough. That figure is a drop in the bucket spread across the entire middle east, Balkans and north Africa. Looking at it that way puts it into perspective. I am glad there are some conversions, but it won't stop Islam.

[Namyak]

Vienna was almost conquered twice by the Ottoman Turks, once during the Siege of Vienna in 1528, and again at the Battle of Vienna in 1683; twice the Turks were turned back.

[redgolum]

While I would like to see the numbers myself, stuff I have heard from missionaries lead me to think that behind all this smoke there is some fire.

[redgolum]

It is interesting to me that the Orthodox are often not counted, and the Catholic under counted.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Wow, what a post!

[LurkedLongEnough]

Interesting.

I wonder how New Yorkers would respond to a American Muslim "Reconciliation Walk" down Broadway from midtown to the big hole downtown.

It's way past due.

[Unam Sanctam]

Sounds like some wishful thinking to me...

[Rhiannon]

Thanks for the post but it really appeared to be propaganda. I have heard that bibles are grabbed as fast as they have them in Iraq. But so much is reported is fiction, I am not credulous.

I got your same stats fom a dramatic story of a guy who was in Iran rescueing Iranian Christians. But his story seem really far fetched.

Christians are reported to leaving Iraq and Lebanon. So I am not convinced that Christians are adding to their numbers.

Also others have noted that the comparison number as 3 Christians in Khazistan is inaccurate. There were more to start off so it appears that a fantastic growth. That is why I want some reliable sources.

[A. Pole]

Christians are reported to leaving Iraq and Lebanon. So I am not convinced that Christians are adding to their numbers.

Yeas, but these native old-fashioned Christians do not count.

[Tamar1973]

Prayer is the ultimate weapon.

30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus for Christians

[Biggirl]

Goes to show that the good news of Jesus is spreading and it gives me hope.

[FormerLib]

What sort of verification do you want from people living in countries where you can be put to death for converting from Islam?

Just asking.

[Capt. Tom]

Muslims packed movie theaters throughout the Middle East to see Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." They were watching Jesus teach. They were watching Him suffer and die and rise again. They were crying – sobbing, in many cases – as they continued to flood the theaters night after night.

Not surprising, since Muslims believe Jesus Christ is a Muslim,, and one of their prophets.

The Muslims believe Mohammed is the last prophet after Jesus. Neither Mohammed or Jesus is considered divine by Muslims.

The Muslims believe their prophet Jesus (Isa) was taken up into heaven with Allah and will return. - Tom

[kronos77]

By tradition the Kazaks are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school, and the Russians are Russian Orthodox. In 1994, some 47 percent of the population was Muslim, 44 percent was Russian Orthodox, and 2 percent was Protestant, mainly Baptist. Some Jews, Catholics, and Pentacostalists also live in Kazakstan; a Roman Catholic diocese was established in 1991. As elsewhere in the newly independent Central Asian states, the subject of Islam's role in everyday life, and especially in politics, is a delicate one in Kazakstan.

http://www.photius.com/countries/kazakhstan/society/kazakhstan_society_religion.html

The vast majority of today's Kyrgyz are Muslims of the Sunni (see Glossary) branch, but Islam came late and fairly superficially to the area. Kyrgyz Muslims generally practice their religion in a specific way influenced by earlier tribal customs. The practice of Islam also differs in the northern and southern regions of the country. Kyrgyzstan remained a secular state after the fall of communism, which had only superficial influence on religious practice when Kyrgyzstan was a Soviet republic. Most of the Russian population of Kyrgyzstan is atheist or Russian Orthodox. The Uzbeks, who make up 12.9 percent of the population, are generally Sunni Muslims.

http://www.photius.com/countries/kyrgyzstan/society/kyrgyzstan_society_religion.html

[Cecily]

What standing does anybody living today have to apologize for the actions of people who lived hundreds of years ago? This kind of "Christian" event is wrongheaded, if not completely retarded. I guess it makes them feel good, and then they don't feel the need to spend their time doing the harder work of actually preaching the Gospel to people.

When are the Muslims going to hold "reconciliation walks" to apologize for persecuting non-Muslims and making them live as dhimmis? Don't hold your breath.

[kronos77]

Interesting, The Dervishes in Serbia were prosecuted by Albanian Muslims cause they didnt wanted to join in war against Serbs.
In their prays they allways mention Jesus, Isa Pergamber as they call Him.
Dervishes are honored even by Serb Ortodox Christian belivers.

[warsaw44]

I have never heard of record breaking numbers of Muslims converting to Christianity in recent years. Not once. No mention in the Catholic magazines I read, no mention in my weekly bible study or conversations with the priests I know.
10,000 converts in Afghanistan? 10,000?? There was ONE convert not too long ago which was in the news and the furor throughout the Middle East calling for his death was heard loud and clear. I followed that story and do not recall any mention of 10,000 recent converts as a sidebar to the story.
According to the numbers of converts and the time line in this story Christianity is spreading like the flu in the Middle East. Now that is a dream come true but also one I would need to see at least some type of verifiable source.
Wouldn't you?

[mutley]

"The incipient implosion of Islam ( Christianity is Growing Quickly in Muslim Countries )"

I would settle for rational thought getting a foothold within the middle east. Conversion to Christianity would be icing on the cake.

Religious fervor, irrationality, insanity, barbarism, and ignorance, seem to be the growing tenets and trends there.

Have they always been this screwed up? Or is this a new trend in the last few decades?

I'm quite puzzled by it all, to tell you the truth.

[ga medic]

Thanks for injecting some "factual" information into the conversation. The more I read from WND, the more disappointed I get. You would think a news source with a Christian perspective would be at least slightly concerned with the truth. Apparently not.

[Uriah_lost]

The NYT's understanding of groups and divisions within Christianity is, not surprisingly, incomplete at best. Most Pentecostals will merrily tell you that they are both Evangelical and Fundamentalist. The Assembly of God, which is at the forefront of the explosion of Pentecostal faith worldwide embraces both those titles but treats Pentecostalism as more of a "feature" of their greater faith experience.
The amount of overlap among these categories makes them wholly insufficient for classifying Christianity and Christians today. (I'm speaking only to the most basic and, if you will, fundamental meaning of these categories.)

[Uriah_lost]

Great resource.
Thanks!

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Which one kills you if you convert from it?
Which one tries to convert all who are not already in it?
Which one is hateful, intolerant and violent?
If the violent ones could be converted to the religion of reconciliation, forgiveness, and love, the world would be a better place.

[Timmy]

"I apologize"

For what? For defending a land that had been forcibly occupied and a people who had been persecuted? As Yoda would say, "Apologize I don't."

[Grut]

So, what's the best beer-and-BBQ joint in Riyadh?

[Campion]

Not surprising, since Muslims believe Jesus Christ is a Muslim,, and one of their prophets.

However, they also aren't supposed to believe that Jesus really died on the cross, or was really raised from the dead, and they certainly don't believe that he died as a substitutionary victim to take away the sins of the world.

All of those realities were vividly depicted in Mel Gibson's movie.

[yawningotter]

I suspect that our armed forces in Iraq are having an impact that goes far beyond fighting the terrorists. It would not surprise me to hear that there Christians in our military spreading the Good News, even if it is in the most subtle ways, and that Iraqis are responding. The thought that there are Christians winning muslims to Christ in Iraq is probably scarier to those mullahs than a boatload of Marines.

[TonyRo76]

Wow...this is the first good news I've read about this whole Muslim vs. Christian situation globally. Sure hoping it's true!

Anyway, thank you for posting it :)

[UpAllNight]

--I read this before but would like actual sources to verify the statistics on the number of conversions.--

You don't really question WND, do you?

[T Ruth]

Google "iran tehran underground church" and you will find lots of information.

The situation of islamic countries is similar to that of communist countries in the 70's and 80's. It was forbidden to leave a communist country, and finally communism collapsed, due in large part to the fact that no one truly believed any more. Similarly, it is forbidden to convert from islam. If they have to impose a death penalty to keep people from converting, how vibrant can islam be?

[TexanToTheCore]

"I have never heard of record breaking numbers of Muslims converting to Christianity in recent years. Not once."

Generally it is kept quiet for political and security reasons. If you take the time to get to know some missionaries (I have friends and relatives who are on-the-ground missionaries), you will find that their experiences match the numbers being talked about in this article.

Some of the numbers for starting quantities of Christians are off, but otherwise the article seems solid to me.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

"If they have to impose a death penalty to keep people from converting, how vibrant can islam be?"

Nice summarization.

[Fred Nerks]

Let's hear it from the camel's mouth:

translation: "Islam used to be, as we stated before, Africa's primary religion...there was around 30 countries that write in arabic , currently the muslim population in Africa dropped to 316 million. Half of that number is of the North African Maghrib arab countries who are muslims anyway. So Africa that we are talking about, the non arabic, now has a muslim population of only 150 million , and if we knew that africa's population is around 1 billion people, then this is for sure a far less ratio/percentage than what it used to be in the beginings of the 20's century....as opposed to this ; The catholic population has risen from around a million of people in 1902 To 329882000 now, lets make it nearer and say 330 million .

As for how this happened, Africa has now a million and half a million churches. The number of the members of these churches 46 million people. Because of the christian missionaries every hour islam loses 667 muslims convert to Christianity, every Day 16000 , every year 6 MILLION."

http://muslim-quotes.netfirms.com/islamgrows.html

[FreedomNeocon]

Sounds like good figures to me.

I have always wondered... regardless of my perceptions of Islam... I always asked that with Islam acting the way it has in over (at least) the past 10 years, what part of it was attractive... something you would want to believe in?

I mean... on one hand you have a religion based on forgiveness and selflessness, on treating people the way you want to be treated. On the other you have a religion which is being used to say your duty is to kill people in the name of god because non-believers must die.

Just from a simple human perspective, I can't see why people would be eager to put in with that crowd

[Clintonfatigued]

This is very encouraging news.