I read one comment earlier today that Muslims likely outnumbered Christians, i.e. Catholics, up until the expansion and growth in the Americas and the population "explosion" of the 19th century.
Arnold | 03.31.08 - 12:36 pm | #

+J.M.J+

All this stuff about Muslims converting to Christianity, does it include the "New Creation Muslims" (kind of a Muslim version of Messianic Judaism)? AFAIK, they claim to still be Muslim, though they apparently accept the tenets of Evangelical Christianity (more or less).

In Jesu et Maria,
Rosemarie | 03.31.08 - 1:44 pm | #

So what make ye of this? Is what the good Monseignor says not true?
http://uk.reuters.com/article/ to...068682420080330
Elena | 03.31.08 - 6:47 pm | #

Actually, these stats seem to have been around for years. Muslims have always slightly outnumbered Catholics, at least, in this decade. Christianity as a whole, of course, is much larger than Islam. Kinda funny though. You'd think they'd compare Catholicism's size with that of Sunni Islam (the largest mainstream sect of Islam), instead of Islam as a whole....

I don't see the hubbub.
JonathanR. | 03.31.08 - 10:19 pm | #

Rosemary:

I've never heard them called "New Creation" Muslims but if you mean the whole "Jesus Mosque" phenomena - yes, they would count them as "believers" which is for evangelicals, what they mean by "Christian".

Of course, there is the whole Non baptized Believer in Christ reality - David Barrett estimates that there are 15 million Muslim or Hindu NBBC's. The word 'Christian" is not usually used of them.
Sherry Weddell | Homepage | 04.01.08 - 10:49 am | #

+J.M.J+

Some of the earliest literature I read about the movement many years ago used the term "New Creation Muslims." Such as this seminal document:

http://www.afii.org/texts/nvbfm.htm

In Jesu et Maria,
Rosemarie | 04.01.08 - 3:58 pm | #

I'm pretty sure Muslims have outnumbered Catholics for years, if you consider only the number of seriously practicing members in each faith.
Matt G | 04.01.08 - 7:39 pm | #