Faith in Numbers
Many people, including journalists, believing what they read in the papers, see all the conflict being created in many areas of the world – Sudan, Middle East, Indonesia and the Philippines – and assume that Islam is becoming triumphant. They are pessimistic about the future of Christianity because some Christians constantly harp on Muslim aggressiveness and persecution in some areas and terrorism in others.
Their faith is severely shattered by fear. Unfortunately, some Christians who have lived in Muslim areas are now making a living by travelling around churches lecturing on our need to be fearful of Muslims. The fact that in most areas of the world, Christians and Muslims live in the same communities in harmony is never mentioned. They also read that there are now more Muslims in the world (1.9 billion) than Roman Catholics (1.8 billion) and assume that means there are more Muslims in the world than Christians! The fact is Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians number 3.3 billion Christians.
Philip Jenkins, author of “The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity” (Oxford University Press), believes most of us missed the most significant development in the religious world of the last century. The centre of Christianity shifted away from Europe and North America to the global South and East, and, according to Jenkins, it will not shift back. Christianity experienced explosive growth in Africa, Latin America and Asia during the last century. In areas we often think of primarily as the Third World, the Christian population has exceeded North America’s. Currently, 480 million people in Latin America call themselves believers, along with 360 million in Africa and 313 million in Asia – compared with 260 million in North America.
Jenkins sees the trend not only continuing, but accelerating. The picture of Christianity marching through the Global South counters the images on the news of Islam’s dominance in the Southern Hemisphere. Jenkins foresees the two faiths continuing to clash, yet he believes Christianity will leave the greatest mark on the next century. The reason? – Islam demands all people learn Arabic to read their holy book. Christianity translates the Bible into the language of all people. By doing so it encourages literacy and adapts to new conditions and places.
The Christianity of the Third World is different than that of the Northern Hemisphere. It is much more conservative and traditional – especially among Roman Catholics. The biggest difference between the two churches is the poverty of the South. These Christians relate much more closely to the biblical world and its concerns than do people who are rich and from the First World.
Often they are people without access to the kind of medical care that the First World takes for granted; so the medical, healing, and exorcism elements of the Bible make very good sense to them. That is why many immigrants to Australia are virile Christians packing ethnic congregations. My experience in starting fourteen ethnic congregations that now number many thousands of worshippers every Sunday encourages me. The future looks good, and we all should learn from them to trust in faith, that God has the future in His hands, and that all things are possible to them that believe. Faith is the answer, not fear.
Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C.
