Why Islam? Fastest Growing Religion in America

I'm just curious.

I've heard for quite a while that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S. but I wonder if that changed at all in light of the recent events and backlash ? I don't think Americans gave much thought regarding the religion until recently.

It has come to my attention that 86.7% of all statistics are made up right on the spot.

Do you have any links to statistics on this matter that have data to back them up?

I'm asking, because, yes, I agree, it would take an incredibly commited person to convert to Islam these days and thought it very possible that the statistic may not be true anymore. (Or as Frank suggests, may not be accurate to begin with.)

Islam has been known as the fastest growing religion in the World for a while but there are not many references out there to it being the fastest growing in the USA. Suspect it is a "me too" attitude by the American wing.
Many of the countries where Islam is big have been undergoing explosive population growth for the last few decades, that is probably what is driving the growth worldwide. (Mostly.)

Maybe I'm all wet, but I believe there is something about human nature that finds working to achieve salvation appealing (at least among those who are religously inclined).

Christianity teaches that salvation is a free gift, and there is nothing you can do to earn or deserve it. Islam, on the other hand, has rules governing every waking second of your life. And how well you adhere to these rules determines which level of paradise you will find yourself in the afterlife.

Yes, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States, but... Islam is also a very minor religion in terms of the overwhelming christian majority. So, if there are 200 million card caring christian, 40 million jews and 6 million muslims and each got 1 million new converts, on a percentage basis alone who's getting the largest increase? And who's really winning or losing the most ground?
Ceili

Apart from Frank having taken notice that statistics are the leading cause of cancer, i would point out that even were Islam the fastest growing religion in the United States, birth rate could easily account for that. There is no reason to assume that any significant number of people are converting to Islam. And if they were, so what? This is still America, and everyone has the right to any reasonable, or any crackpot point of view which tickles their fancy.

Frank said:


Islam Statistics

News Articles on the New Studies on the Number of Muslims in the U.S. www.pluralism.org/news/index.php?tags=2093

6 million -- Ibrahim Hooper, Council on American Islamic Relations Communications Director (202-659-2247).

4,132,000 -- 2000 Britannica Book of the Year estimate for 2000 (This includes 1,650,000 Black Muslims).

23.8% of American Muslims are African American according to American Muslim Council's Zogby poll of August 2000.

5,500,000 -- 2000 World Almanac estimate, based on 1999 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.

About 6 million -- Estimated study in 1998; agreed upon by most Muslim organizations. Neveen Salem, American Muslim Council Director of Communications and Media ([email protected] 202-789-2262).

In the Pluralism Project Directory we list 1785 Muslim mosques and centers in the United States.


Judaism Statistics: 5,621,000 - 6,061,000

5,621,000 -- 2000 Britannica Book of the Year, estimate for 2000.

6,061,000 -- American Jewish Committee estimate of Jewish population in the U.S. (2.2% of U.S. population, exclusive of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands).  Ken Bandler, Director of Public Relations and Communications, (212-751-4000 x 271.)


Christianity Statistics

235,742,000 -- 2000 Britannica Book of the Year estimate for 2000.

158,294,022 -- The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches report of "inclusive enrollment" for 1998.

The 2000 World Almanac offers breakdowns by church, based on 1999 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.

I want to second a point Setanta made -- that even if the Muslim population in America is rising (whether at a rate greater than other religions or not) -- it is not necessarily attributable to religious conversion.

Setanta mentioned birth rates -- as a possible reason.

Immigration certainly is a possible reason also.

I would certainly like to see any stats that back up the notion that significant numbers of Americans are converting to Islam. My personal experience in this matter, which I acknowledge is very, very limited, certainly doesn't suggest much movement in that direction.

My question wasn't about the 'statistics'....or, any religion being above, or below, or about slandering anyone's faith. I just thought it's something to think about, because, while it's true that birth-rate is a contributing factor...many americans ARE choosing Islam as a way of life too.
Are you saying they've all developed 'crack-pot' points of view? or is that just the generalization/stereo-type we as american readily embrace?

If people would stop judging and just look for truth...they may find that what they thought, wasn't necessarily reality. (in this matter, and all)

I was just wondering if conversion has eased up in light of the recent events. I'm not questioning the religion itself, just whether or not it's still growing in the U.S. due to conversion. The latest figures you cited are from the year 2000.

Rather than post it you can read it - click-it

That's an awfully vague statement. Thank you for taking the bait . . . i wrote: " . . . everyone has the right to any reasonable, or any crackpot point of view which tickles their fancy." It was your decision to assume that i characterize a belief in Islam to be "crackpot," because i first mentioned any reasonable point of view. What precisely is your point here? I've pointed out that increases in the number of those professing to people taking surveys that they are Muslim is attributable to birth rate. Frank has pointed out that it may be attributable to immigration. You assert that "many Americans ARE choosing Islam as a way of life." [sic], and yet that is a sufficiently vague statement as to mean nothing. How many is "many?" What point would that make about life in the United States as a whole? It seems to me that you are trying to promote a contention that Islam is being embraced by Americans who formerly were not believers, and that this is something significant about our society. If that is the case, it would help discussion if we knew just what it is that you are getting at. I further suggest that you have a personal stake in contending that Americans are embracing Islam, and it would help the discussion if we were to know that, as well.

By the way, according to the American Religion Data Archive, a web site of the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, in the period 1990 to 2000, leaving aside the Salvation Army, the largest growth in any religious body was in the Old Missionary Baptist Associations, the membership of which grew by 206% in that period. Kinda knocks your contention about Islam right out of the box. You see, it is possible to find statistics to support, or to refute, just about any contention.

islam isn't the fastest growing religion in the world. i believe that honor belongs to wiccanism. islam is the fastest growing major religion.

my theory...
1. christianity has reached saturation in the west.
2. islam is the anti-christianity. it's the same reason wiccanism is growing.
3. islam is sold as both peaceful and militant. "turn the other cheek" is not a very appealing philosophy for many.
4. 2 of the most respected figures of the past half century; mohammed ali and malcolm x. both converts from christianity.

If truth is based on how fast people convert, everyone in America should be mormon.

On Conversion...see this story:

http://www.ottawamuslim.net/Newsarticles/feature_newmuslims.htm


It says that 30% of the mosque attendees in America are converts.
From my knowledge, after 9/11, interest in Islam and conversion increased sharply because more Americans wanted to know 'what is Islam?'...whereas before, no one gave it much thought.

My interest in your thoughts about Islam and its growing rate is based on my own experiences with family/employers etc...after I converted to Islam, 6 months before 9/11...most of which were not positive or supportive. Most people got very stiff...and uncomfortable, and wouldn't talk about it at all, or if they did would say very negative/hurtful things or not talk to me for a very long time....as if I was no longer the same person. i lost my job on 9/13, etc. No one, except my friends, thankfully for them, were supportive. So, i'm just interested in thoughts on that 'barrier' that closes people off to anything 'Islam'....without even trying to understand beyond what they hear on the news, etc...even when a loved one embraces it. My husband converted to Islam too (after 9/11), and also experienced similar reactions from friends and family, but fortunately for him, not from his employer.

So, forgive me, Setanta, for 'taking the bait', but, in this day and age, in my experience....the reactions from Americans on Islam is more likely to be negative than positive.

For myself, I don't and never have believe in terrorism, oppression of anykind, be it gender, political, economic, religious or ethnic oppression, etc...and I've always believed in peacefulness and seeked goodness and truth. I've always believed in simple living, social justice, unity, charity, and equal rights and religious freedom for all people, women being valued for their minds...not their bodies, diverse community in which the needs of everyone are met...regardless of their gender, race, or social status...etc. I beleive in All the prophets, and that they all came with the same message, the Unity of God...And I believe in One God. I believe in All the Books of God, including the Torah, the Bible, and the Qu'ran...and believe in Love and Compassion towards all life. The only Religion I found which encompassed all of that, surprisingly, even to myself, was Islam.

My point is not about Islam being embraced by 'non-believers', or there being any signifigance in conversion to Islam...it's about the negative reactions and stand-offishness from Americans about Islam, which are based on an impersonal and limited exposure from television sources...and, if what they believe about Islam is really true, why would so many Western people be converting?

Anyway, I hope that clears up my intentions in starting this post...

p.s. don't forget Cat Stevens converted too...

What we are asking for are some reliable statistics to show that in fact many Americans ARE choosing Islam as a way of life...

...or are you telling us we have to take your word for it?

I tried to check the underlying factual claim on the census bureau's website. They have no data on flows between religions, so I'll get into the long line of people here who wonder what the source of the data is.

That said, here's an observation from Germany. Some weeks ago, I browsed the German equivalent of the "Statistical Abstract", the "Statistisches Jahrbuch für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland". It tells us that in Germany, the Christian denominations are on net losing members through high death rates, low birth rates, and people leaving the Church. At the same time, a considerable number of Turkish immigrants raised the number of Muslims. In addition to that, because immigrants tend to be middle-aged, they are less likely to die and more likely to have children than the average population. Conversions to Islam are negligible.

Conclusion: Islam is the fastest growing religion in Germany too, but conversions happen way too rarely to make a big difference one way or another. Most people 'inherit' their religion from their parents and stick with it, so the number of adherents to any religions are mostly determined by birth rates, death rates, and migration. Obviously, America's kilometerage may vary.

Sorry, no precise numbers, because the reference is in my employer's library, and I'm writing this from home. You'll have to take my word for it (or not).

hmmff...did you read the article i posted? can we get past the 'do people really convert to Islam?' bit?

It doesn't matter exactly how many americans convert, just that they do...which I, my husband, and about 100 other people I personally know are evidence of. Sorry, but I've never participated in a study on the topic to give you more 'official' stats. I've tried to post statistics and articles and given my own personal account.

this demonstration of posts is the essence of what i wanted to discuss in the first place...that there's a barrier for Americans when it comes to the topic of Islam!

Maybe I wasn't clear on what I was saying in the first post...let me rephrase it. The question is, If Islam is what most people believe it to be, the anti-thesis of everything West, why would anyone from the West convert? 2nd, since people are converting, regardless of the number, Is Islam what Americans believe it to be? 3rd, why the automatic standoffishness and negativite reactions about the topic of Islam?

It we can't get past this 'proove that people really convert to Islam' barrier then this thread is futile...