Rick Warren's magic number (146,000 put-to-death Christians)

Somewhat factually challenged Rick Warren tweeted and reiterated the allegation that last year 146,000 Christians were put to death because of their faith. No one, except Christians, said anything."< p>

Unless you count Amnesty International (not a Christian organization) and Human Rights Watch -- and others.

The number 146,000 is almost as startling as Warren's willingness to encourage, without just cause, self-isolating Christian self-pity. In the lengthy process of attempting to find a valid source for Warren's claim, we learn that 146,000 is a number which turns up frequently. Almost as if it were a magic number:

• The number of Nigerians killed in road accidents in 2007.
• An apparently commonplace wrong answer to the question: How many people die per day, worldwide?.
• A number of deaths in Burma (Myanmar) associated with cyclone Nargis in May of 2008 when the Suu Kyi regime refused to allow the delivery of aid.

• The number of women who were expected to die of causes related to smoking in 1991, according to the Washington Post.
• A controversial top-end number of deaths in Darfur cited in an April of 2005 speech by then Assistant Secretary of State, Robert Zoellick.
• Not a number unearthed by a search of Rick Warren's Purpose Driven online magazine produced no results. Not even when narrowed to just the number 146,000.

Dismissive assertions using dramatic, undocumented numbers -- like Warren's 146,000 tweet -- tend to progressively discredit the source. It's inevitable. Unless the source comes back with persuasive proof of his/her claims, they are demonstrations of untrustworthiness.