When Will Muslims Outnumber Christians?

Originally posted by KellyJay
Actually, it is my understanding that you can be born into the Muslim faith
so that was why I asked. If those suggesting the numbers are all family
members from either faith they are making assumptions that cannot be
validated or in my opinion be truthful.

Estimating Religious Composition in 2010
Data Collection and Documentation

Researchers acquired and analyzed religious composition information from about 2,500 data sources, including censuses, demographic surveys, general population surveys and other studies – the largest project of its kind to date. Censuses were the primary source for religious composition estimates in 90 countries, which together cover 45% of all people in the world.72 Large-scale demographic surveys were the primary sources for an additional 43 countries, representing 12% of the global population. General population surveys were the primary source of data for an additional 42 countries, accounting for 37% of the global population.

Together, censuses or surveys provided estimates for 175 countries, representing 95% of the world’s population. In the remaining 59 countries, representing 5% of the world’s population, the primary sources for the religious composition estimates include population registers and institutional membership statistics reported in the World Religion Database and other sources. A list of the primary sources used to estimate the overall religious composition of each country is provided in Appendix B.

Censuses and nationally representative surveys can provide valid and reliable measures of religious landscapes when they are conducted following the best practices of social science research. Valid measurement in censuses and surveys also requires that respondents are free to provide information without fear of negative governmental or social consequences. However, variation in methods among censuses and surveys (including sampling, question wording, response categories and period of data collection) can lead to variation in results. Social, cultural or political factors also may affect how answers to census and survey questions are provided and recorded.

The measure of religious identity in this study is sociological rather than theological. In order to have statistics that are comparable across countries, the study attempts to count individuals who self-identify with each religion. This includes people who hold beliefs that may be viewed as unorthodox or heretical by others who claim the same religion. It also includes people who do not regularly practice the behaviors prescribed by their religion, such as those who seldom pray or attend worship services.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Instead of guessing... Read the methodology and find out how they actually did it.

http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/appendix-a-methodology-2/

This is why you go to the source, and don't just guess.

[b]Estimating Religious Composition in 2010
Data Collection and Documentation

Researchers acquired and analyzed religious composi ...[text shortened]... scribed by their religion, such as those who seldom pray or attend worship services.

[/b]

Originally posted by KellyJay
I believe the thing I was asking about was how one became a Muslim
if you can be born into it or not?

Originally posted by googlefudge
In the context of a discussion about how the data and projections of the OP
were gathered.
I read the whole thread, and your discussion in it and was responding to the
whole discussion not just that last post.

As an atheist I would say that nobody is born into religion, they must be taught
it.

However, it's pretty likely [particularly in non ...[text shortened]... And so for the
purposes of this survey/forecast the mechanics don't matter, only the outcome.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Data projections I get that, but what good are the projections if they are
not based upon good information which is at the heart of my question.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Which would be why I posted a link to their methodology so you could go read
it and find out what their methodology was.

the study attempts to count individuals who self-identify with each religion

Originally posted by Suzianne
Who cares how many Muslims there are versus how many Christians there are? And who cares which one has more people? Seriously.

When the Anti-Christ starts requiring everyone to worship him, it won't matter what religion you are. If you don't follow him, you'll be persecuted and killed.

The most ridiculous part of it all is that I see all the atheis ...[text shortened]... ly be the stormtroopers they always wanted to be and start persecuting all the theists for real.

The most ridiculous part of it all is that I see all the atheists suddenly finding religion
and worshipping the Anti-Christ. Then they can finally be the stormtroopers they always
wanted to be and start persecuting all the theists for real.

Originally posted by RJHinds

the study attempts to count individuals who self-identify with each religion

Originally posted by googlefudge
Which would be why I posted a link to their methodology so you could go read
it and find out what their methodology was.

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Originally posted by KellyJay
Did you see anything about those being born into the faith in any part of the
post you linked too?

Originally posted by Suzianne
The most ridiculous part of it all is that I see all the atheists suddenly finding religion and worshipping the Anti-Christ. Then they can finally be the stormtroopers they always wanted to be and start persecuting all the theists for real.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Why ask me, instead of reading the methodology of what they actually did?

If you want to know what they did, go read their description of what they did.

I can't give any better answer to the question of what their methodology was,
than to link to the article in which THEY describe it.


Once you have read and understood what they were doing I think you will discover
that your point is mute... But that's not for me to decide.