There's no single "most successful" religion, as success can be measured differently (followers, wealth, growth), but Christianity is the largest by followers (2.3 billion) and wealth, while Islam is the fastest-growing major religion due to high fertility rates, and Hinduism is also growing rapidly, notes Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_and_religion.
Keister and published in the Social Forces journal, found that adherents of Judaism and Episcopalianism accumulated the most wealth, believers in Catholicism and mainline Protestants were in the middle, while conservative Protestants accumulated the least; in general, people who attend religious services accumulated ...
By 2050, Christianity is projected to remain the world's largest religion, but Islam is expected to nearly equal it in numbers, with both groups comprising around 30-31% of the global population, driven by higher birth rates in Muslim-majority areas and significant growth in Christian populations, particularly in developing regions, according to Pew Research Center analyses.
The pyramid shows that: half of the world's net wealth belongs to the top 1%, top 10% of adults hold 85%, while the bottom 90% hold the remaining 15% of the world's total wealth, top 30% of adults hold 97% of the total wealth.
Bill and Melinda are members of the Catholic Church and have said that religious morality inspires their charity work. Though the couple are now divorced as of 2021, they continue to collaborate on philanthropic work with the foundation.
As of 2013, the combined GDP (nominal) of 51* Muslim majority countries was US$ 12.97 trillion. As of 2016, they contributed 8% of the world's total. Those 57* OIC countries in 2024 have a combined GDP (at Purchasing power parity; PPP) of US$ 24.183 trillion or US$ 29.983 trillion with observer countries.
Judaism came first, with its origins dating back to Abraham (around 2000 BCE) and Moses (around 1200 BCE), making it the first Abrahamic monotheistic religion; Islam emerged much later, founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century CE, though Muslims believe their faith began with Adam and view figures like Abraham as early prophets. Therefore, Jews existed as a people and religious community centuries before Islam began.
Elon Musk's beliefs have evolved; while previously skeptical, he recently stated he believes "God is the Creator" and the universe came from "something," though he avoids strict religious labels, identifying more as a "cultural Christian" who values Christian principles for boosting happiness and birth rates, rather than subscribing to all traditional doctrines. He acknowledges a higher power but distinguishes this from a judging, moralistic deity, focusing on the creative origin of the cosmos.
Pure religion is having the courage to do what is right and let the consequence follow. It is doing the right things for right reasons. To be righteous or serving or loving or obedient to God's laws just to earn praise or recognition is not pure religion.
Muslims have the highest life satisfaction: They have a feeling of 'oneness' that trumps Christians, Buddhists and yogis, study suggests. Muslim people feel the most satisfied with their lives because they feel more 'oneness,' or connection than people of other faiths, a new study suggests.
Donald Trump identifies as a nondenominational Christian, having previously been associated with Presbyterianism and influenced by Norman Vincent Peale's "positive thinking," though his faith journey includes shifting affiliations and a strong connection with evangelical Christians, with recent statements emphasizing a stronger faith after a life-threatening event. While raised Presbyterian and attending church as a child, he declared himself nondenominational in 2020, yet his religious identity is complex, drawing from various Christian influences and appealing to a broad base of Christian supporters, including Christian nationalists.
I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.
One commenter asked Zuckerberg whether or not he was atheist, given that he had previously identified as one. He wrote back, No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important.
Elon Musk says he's a 'cultural Christian' – why some leading thinkers are embracing Christianity. In The Conversation, Simon McCarthy-Jones considers the implications of why some conservatives are embracing Christianity but struggle to accept Christianity's central supernatural claims, like Christ's resurrection.
The richest person in Australia is Gina Rinehart, a mining magnate and executive chairperson of Hancock Prospecting, who has topped the annual Financial Review Rich List for several consecutive years, with her wealth estimated around A$38.11 billion as of the 2025 list, despite recent iron ore price fluctuations affecting her fortune.
No, there are currently no confirmed trillionaires in the world, but several individuals, primarily Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, are predicted to reach this status soon, with some reports suggesting Musk could hit the mark within the next few years due to his vast holdings in Tesla and SpaceX, according to Investopedia and CNN. A trillion-dollar net worth is an immense sum, exceeding the GDP of most countries, with projections from organizations like Oxfam anticipating the first trillionaires will emerge from the ranks of current billionaires.
In Hitler's eyes, Christianity was a religion fit only for slaves; he detested its ethics in particular. Its teaching, he declared, was a rebellion against the natural law of selection by struggle and the survival of the fittest.
Famous Atheists
Suicide rates between different religions vary. Among the major religions in the US, Protestants have the highest rate of suicide.