In the Netherlands we can estimate the increase of irreligion; [227] according to the censuses of 1879 and 1909, the percentage of those who are not members of any church has increased enormously, from 0.31 to 4.97, an increase of 1500% in 30 years! What an increase of crime must we look for! The reality is very different. The curve of crime has fallen without any doubt. [228] The facts and the thesis do not agree. Another way of examining the question is to be found in “criminal geography.” Since irreligion shows enormous differences in the different parts of a country, we ought to find considerable criminality in the provinces where the lack of religion is most in evidence. For the Netherlands, in my study already referred to, I have given detailed tables with the result that there is no connection between the phenomena in question. In general we have even the right to say that the provinces with the lowest figures for irreligion show a high criminality, and vice versa! The best means of settling the question is by a direct statistical study. I have made calculations, based upon the criminal statistics, of more than 126,000 individuals sentenced during the period from 1901 to 1909, in the Netherlands. Here are the results: Netherlands, 1901–1909. ====================================+=========================================================== | Number Sentenced to 100,000 of the Population | Over 10 Years Old. +-------------+-----------+-------+-----------+------------- | | | | Not | Offenses. | | | | Members | Total | Protestant. | Catholic. | Jew. | of Any |Population. | | | | Religion. | ------------------------------------+-------------+-----------+-------+-----------+------------- All offenses | 308.6 | 416.5 | 212.7 | 84.2 | 337.3 Theft | 40.0 | 54.8 | 25.5 | 9.6 | 43.9 Aggravated theft | 19.9 | 24.0 | 12.7 | 5.2 | 20.7 Receiving stolen goods | 2.6 | 3.5 | 9.2 | 0.7 | 3.0 Embezzlement | 8.6 | 9.3 | 13.1 | 1.9 | 8.7 Fraud | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 2.4 Offenses against public decency | 1.9 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 2.4 Minor sexual offenses | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.0 Rape | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 1.8