… At least in the economically strong parts of the world, according to a survey by National Geographic. Islam is on a continuous rise compared to other religions, so much so that it’s expected by the year 2050, to topple Christianity as the most popular religion in the world. However, there are more people in the world than ever before who are secular in outlook and do not subscribe to any system of religious beliefs at all.
The study has been released in conjunction with the airing of a new Nat Geo television series ‘The Story of God’, starring Morgan Freeman. In the series, Freeman travels across the globe to experience different cultures with reference to their religious beliefs.
‘Religious Nones‘, as people who don’t identify with or follow any one set of religious beliefs are called, now makeup the second largest group that is affiliated with any ideology related to faith.
France, Netherlands and New Zealand are, according to the study, world leaders in secularism, and the UK and Australia who are ‘on the brink of losing their Christian majorities’, will soon join their ranks.
In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where religion is growing faster than anywhere else in the world. The study found a direct correlation between income levels and adherence to religious faith. The higher the level of affluency in any country, the less likely its residents are to turn to any one religion, preferring instead to follow a moral code of conduct they believe is applicable universally.