There are slightly more Christians than Muslims in the world today. According to recent Pew Research studies, about 31% of the world population identifies as Christian, with about 24% identifying as Muslim. Coming in third place, about 16% identify as atheist or agnostic. Judaism comes in 9th place with a very small percentage of .2%. All three are Abrahamic religions embracing the same fundamental stories. I used this research as background for my book “30 Philosophers: A New Look at Timeless Ideas.”
Author note.
Explore voice = Exploratory style. Very punchy. Personal, and lively using “me,” “you,” “us,” and “I” freely.
I want you to feel me right there with you. We use “I” and “me” and “us” without apology. If the Explain voice is a bridge, the Explore voice is the hike we take across it. It is lively, reflective, and sometimes a bit raw. It is the sound of a shared exploration where I lead you by the hand, but we both discover the view at the same time.
This is where I get to think out loud. Not with definitions, we aren’t just looking at the facts; we are looking at how they feel and what they mean for our lives. I’m talking to you about what I’ve found and what I’m still figuring out. It is engaging because it is real, and it is reflective because it is honest.
The goal is real advice and enjoyable reading. I want to land on something you can actually use. It’s about being direct, being punchy, and making sure that by the time we reach the end of the page, we’ve both found something worth keeping.
And now the piece.
Are there more Christians or Muslims in the world today?
- Here's the key idea. About 50% worldwide identify with one of the Abrahamic religions. Christians about 31%, Muslims about 24%, and Jews a tiny .2%.
- Finally, the core takeaway. Hasty generalizations extend evidence beyond the reasonable. Nearly 60% of humanity today identifies with one of the three Abrahamic religions. Also, about one in five humans accepts the story of Noah’s Ark as literal history. That God brought wrath upon the Earth, killed everyone except Noah and a few to make a point. They believe God killed ordinary people simply living their lives, and that all modern humans are descended from a single surviving family.
That Critical Thinking FAQ,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
The flashcard inspired by it is this.
All this is part of the broader TST project.
Think of tidbits as intellectual scaffolding: modest on their own, essential to the strength of the whole.
This project separates research, synthesis, and reflection so that each can be improved independently without breaking coherence.
The end!