Religious beliefs rising, report finds

The world is becoming more religious with each passing day, according to American statisticians David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson.

In a report of their findings published by Idea News service, the annual growth rate of religious belief in the world is at a steady 1.2 percent, compared to the growth of atheism, which is less than 1 percent.

The fastest growing religion is Islam, followed by Hinduism. Christianity is the third fastest growing religion, with a 1.3 percent annual growth rate every year.

According to Barrett and Johnson, more than 26 percent of the world’s population has not heard the Christian gospel, despite the fact that nearly five billion Bibles are distributed annually throughout the world.

(EP)