According to Pew Research Center, by the year 2035 the number of babies born to Muslim parents will exceed the number of births Christian parents. Even more alarming for many Christians is the indication, later in the article, that Muslims are poised to be the fastest-growing major religion in the decades to come.
The problem isn’t isolated to the number of births, which is of enough concern by itself. The other thing to consider in this equation is the fact that older Christian populations, globally, are dying at faster rates than Christian parents are giving birth. In other words, the deaths of Christians – especially in Europe – are beginning to exceed the number of births.
For instance, Pew Research reports that the number of Christian deaths in Germany between 2010 and 2015 exceeded the number of births by 1.4 million. This trend is expected to continue for the next few decades while the Muslim population thrives and grows around the world.
Another Pew article goes on to report that within the next 50 years, the world may see a total shift that will end the reign of Christianity as the world’s largest religion – to be replaced by Islam.
Why is this of concern to Christians today?
There is, obviously, great cause for alarm among Christians who have increasingly become concerned over fear of Christian persecution at the hands of Muslim extremists in other parts of the world. Some fear that this is a sign of a grim future, especially if Muslim numbers begin to surpass the number of Christians around the world.
Other concerns involve the plight of women and religious minorities around the world. This is especially concerning among those who are critical of Sharia law, which condones barbaric acts like female genital mutilation, honor killings, public beheadings, and child marriages. Jordan Times reports that early marriages account for approximately 35 percent of all marriages among Syrian refugees.
Of special concern to women is how this demographic shift affects their civil rights in Muslim-majority countries. As these children grow up and begin to take leadership roles in communities and governments around the world, what will that mean for the children and grandchildren of today’s Christians?
What can Christians do to improve the outlook?
