UPDATE
Since writing this post a few years ago, I have stopped dabbling in astrology and have become more orthodox in my Christian beliefs. I still accept the tenets of Sanatana Dharma that undergird traditional Hindu belief, and consider that they make me more, rather than less, a Christian.
ORIGINAL POST
Atheists and agnostics often imply that they are a persecuted minority. I decided to look it up.
Turns out that after Christianity and Islam (which the elites have conveniently set at each others’ throats), secularists command the largest following (along with Hindus). By the time the Christians and Muslims get done polishing each other of, I guess they’d be the most dominant group. Hmm..mm, as my friends at the Daily Bell would say. For the record, I define myself as an esoteric Christian, neo-Hindu, skeptical spiritualist, and ethical occultist (“God’s Son, Falwell’s Mother, and the Rest of Us Ho’s,” Dissident Voice, May 18, 2007).
Major religions of the Worlds Ranked by Number of Adherents
(Size shown are approximate estimates, and are here mainly for the purpose of ordering the groups, not providing a definitive number. This list is sociological/statistical in perspective.)
| 1- Christianity (2 billion) | 33% |
| 2- Islam (1.2 billion) | 18% |
| 3- Hinduism (900 million) | 16% |
| 4- Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist (900 million) | 16% |
| 5- Buddhism (350 million) | 6% |
| 6- Chinese traditional religion (225 million) | 4% |
| 7- primal-indigenous (190 million) | 4% |
| 8- Yoruba religion (west Africa) (20 million) | |
| 9- Juche (North Korea) (19 million) | |
| 10- Sikhism (18 million) | |
| 11- Judaism (15 million) | |
| 12- Spiritism (14 million) | |
| 13- Babi & Baha’i faiths (6 million) | |
| 14- Jainism (India) (4 million) | |
| 15- Shinto (Japan) (4 million) | |
| 16- Cao Dai (Vietnam) (3 million) | |
| 17- Tenrikyo (Japan) (2.4 million) | |
| 18- Neo-Paganism (1 million) | |
| 19- Unitarian-Universalism(800 thousand) | |
| 20- Scientology (750 thousand) | |
| 21- Rastafarianism (Jamaica) (700,000) | |
| 22- Zoroastrianism (150 thousand) |
From: Adherent.com
Somewhat relative. Using government to enforce moral codes;
Are social conservatives really socialists? Would they rather expand the size of the state if it furthers their moral agenda?
Andrew Napolitano poses the question to Andy Levy in a recent interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_oUcmhS1TM