re: #62 Vicious Babushka

CALL THE WAAAAHMBULANCE!

I decided to chase that claim, and got onto the supportive “200 million Christians are denied fundamental human rights because of their religion” (that’s wiki’s variation). It’s got the taste of an urban legend, because almost everybody cites someone who either didn’t say it or who cited someone else. When the pope said it, he didn’t reference any origin for the information. On the other hand he wasn’t the first person to say it.

Adding to the skepticism, Christianity is (probably) still the world’s largest religion (cite, which has referential cites.). Even so, 200 million is pretty close to 10% of that religion’s membership. That is a large enough proportion to make reports common, with very little third-hand evidence necessary. However, the consistent documentation is of a dozen or so individuals over the past twenty years, with the statement “they have seen” used to expand the numbers. Frequently added to the mix is Saudi Arabia where the practice of Christianity is illegal. Unmentioned is that so is any other religion that is not Islam.

fwiw, I have seen the report variously alleged as originating with MI6, the CIA, the Vatican, and Harvard. Needless to say there’s no record in any of their public databases of any such report.