The following commentary by Hungarian journalist Zsolt Jeszenszky appeared originally in Hungarian in Magyar Nemzet.
There are about 2.5 billion Muslims in the world. That’s more than 30 percent of the world’s total population. In 2020, the number was “only” 2 billion, an increase of nearly 25 percent. The total world population grew by about 3.5 percent during that time, from 7.85 billion to 8.15 billion. In the case of Christianity, the increase was 8 percent, from 2.4 billion to about 2.6 billion.
In the case of Christians, the growth is primarily due to those who have embraced the faith of Christ—especially in the Far East, among the younger, more educated: in South Korea, Japan, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc., and among those who are descended from these countries but already live in the Western world.
Every year, about 15 million people convert to Christ. At the same time, 11.7 million leave Christianity and convert to another religion or become unbelievers or atheists.
Of course, all of this is based on estimates, especially in relation to Islam. After all, it is gaining ground in many areas of the world where the recording and processing of demographic data and statistics is less precise. According to Guinness, between 1990 and 2000, 12.5 million more people converted to Islam than to Christianity. At the same time, many people also leave Islam (primarily for Christianity), but they often hide this, since according to the beliefs laid down in the Quran, those who leave Islam are subject to the death penalty.
So, we don’t know exactly whether Christianity or Islam is currently leading in the number of converts, and we are also on the verge of deciding which of them is the world’s largest religion. But there is no doubt that the power and momentum are with Islam. Far more Muslim children are being born than Christian.
Moreover, secularization and abandonment of faith dominate the Christian cultural sphere. This can only be compensated for in the short term by the strengthening of Christianity in the Far East, especially since the populations of these countries (Japan and South Korea in particular) are decreasing at an alarming rate.
In the Christian world, abandoning faith primarily means becoming an atheist — or at least an agnostic — turning away from faith and spirituality. But there is also a growing trend of converting to Islam, which Western people, for now, choose of their own free will. In addition, the intention of Islam to convert (let’s use this as a euphemism instead of “conquer”) is also very strong.
In the program “Political Hobbyist,” we have shown several videos in recent weeks where Islamic scholars, imams, and religious leaders say that their goal is complete dominance, that all people in the world become Muslims. And that all means are permitted for this, and even their religion explicitly requires them to do so.
Some of them even add that there is no need for fighting or war; Westerners are slowly converting to Islam of their own accord.
This is indeed a growing phenomenon. Even if, alongside many other worrying moments, we trivialize it, ignore it, and try to refute it with statistical magic. (These are also used with pleasure by the Western media.) But why is this? Why is a religion that despises and prohibits almost everything that the West has achieved, fought for, embraced, lived, and enjoyed over the centuries so appealing to many Westerners? And one that demands submission and significantly restricts their rights, lifestyle, and personal freedom, everything that it has achieved and gained? We will find the answer soon…
“Islam is a religion of peace” — you would think that even the most depraved progressive liberals wouldn’t believe this today. In comparison, not only do they believe it, but there are still those who say it. Or, if they don’t say it like that anymore, because perhaps they too feel that they are becoming an object of ridicule, they still call for the fight against Islamophobia.
For example, following a series of incidents in which young girls were raped (and unfortunately killed) by Muslim immigrants, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a passionate speech delivered on the BBC the next day with a pathos-filled face, warned the British against the spread of Islamophobia.
We know that there are political reasons for this. The international left, partly out of vile, calculating interests, for votes, partly out of Stockholm syndrome and self-destructive greed, constantly wants to embrace the Muslim masses arriving in Europe (and North America). And Islam, from its own perspective, is taking advantage of this. It claims a place for itself by applying and referring to European legal institutions, old and new cultural patterns (freedom of speech and religion, tolerance, diversity, etc.); and then, when it gets this and becomes sufficiently strong, it takes control and does not give the same to the already weakened Europeans.
A seemingly banal but very telling and serious example of this is when Islamic women appear on the beach in full chador, which we Europeans have to accept (and even applaud), but after a while, when they are the majority on the beach, they demand that white women not undress either.
And Western societies accept all this. Because they no longer have the strength to resist. There is no real commitment to their own values, traditions, and principles. They resort to substitute actions, beat their chests about how tolerant they are, flaunt virtue, act good-natured, and show off against their own culture, governments, and fellow countrymen, accompanied by a storm of applause from the media. Especially the young. They shout belligerent slogans, but they no longer take on a real fight. They no longer face a truly strong opponent.
In milder cases, they only help the Islamic conquest as “fellow travelers,” by convincing others that their activism serves a good cause: tolerance, religious freedom, and the acceptance of poor, unfortunate refugees. In many cases, they themselves become Muslims. However, this is no longer mere weakness and submission, but because they are looking for strength, and they find it in Islam.
And here comes the point. Man, by his very nature, needs explanations for both the world and spirituality.
The first means finding order, system, causal connections, some kind of meaning in everything that surrounds him, what he experiences, what happens around him. To feel some stability around him, not to feel the world as chaotic.
The second, the need for spirituality, means that there is a need for some superior, spiritual power, and man must somehow connect to this, not only to get an explanation for the world, but also to make peace with it. Including making peace with himself. A believer, and in this respect it doesn’t matter what belief system or religion he belongs to, is always much better able to accept the world, his own place in it, and to make peace with his fate. Not only is his soul more resistant to negative things, but he is also better able to handle good things in their proper place. He does not become conceited and irresponsible, and he is able to maintain his modesty and humility toward God (and other people).
The unprecedented economic prosperity and increase in well-being among Western people in recent decades have also brought an exponential increase in mental crises, illnesses, depression, anxiety, lack of self-esteem, etc.
Yes, it is fair to say that people have had mental health problems in the past, but they didn’t deal with them, didn’t know how to deal with them, there were no psychologists yet, etc. So they went to the pub instead. There is some truth in that too. But it was faith, the relationship with God and Christ, that was able to provide some kind of support and stability in the midst of difficulties (whether physical or spiritual). That even if I am weak, there is someone to lean on. Someone who stands by me and protects me. In this world, too, but if He decides that I have to go, then He ensures eternal life and salvation in another world.
And this is the natural need of man for a higher spiritual being, God, and for connection with Him. For a while, worldly pleasures can satisfy it (some of which are, of course, the deliberate manipulation of Satan, but going into detail about this would be beyond the scope of this article), but there comes a point when nothing (and no one) can fill or compensate for the spiritual emptiness.
We always, all of us, turn to God, to spirituality, at these times. And when a person, especially a young person, who grew up in an atheistic, unbelieving environment, has no experience, has not seen any patterns regarding what it means to believe, to connect to higher spiritual forces and goals, to find spiritual peace instead of worldly pleasures and addictions, to live a fuller life, etc., but still has a huge inner need for this, where does he turn? To where he sees the most strength.
Where you get the message: Come to us, we are here, we are many, we will win, and with us you will be victorious too. And this power is in Islam today.
In a previous article, I wrote in detail about how Islam can show strength in its external appearance, with gigantic mosques built on mountains, dominating the view, and conveying the greatness of Allah and the small, insignificant nature of man to believers (and non-believers). So demand and supply are in balance.
There is a “consumer” demand from people seeking an explanation of the world and a higher spirituality. And Islam, which demonstrates its strength, is excellent at advertising and selling the “product”: itself.
We must learn, we must be able to “sell” Christianity again. And to do this, we must show strength…
