Wikipedia's first sentence called it “conversion to a religion or philosophy against the will of the subject”. Today it says “adoption of a religion or irreligion under duress”. This article was not filed under it. Today it is filed under Genocide.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
We saved snapshots of this article over twenty years; you are reading the 2025 one. Red dashes: removed from Wikipedia since.Pale dots: rewritten; the numbered note shows what it says now.Red text: written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot.1 tap a number or a side note to jump between them
The opening as it read in 2025
Adoption of a different religion or irreligion under duress For conversion of data types, see Type punning . sidebar Forced conversion is the adoption of a religion or irreligion under duress . Someone who has been forced to convert to a different religion or irreligion may continue, covertly, to adhere to the beliefs and practices which were originally held, while outwardly behaving as a convert. Crypto-Jews , Crypto-Christians , Crypto-Muslims , Crypto-Hindus and Crypto-Pagans are historical examples of the latter. Freedom from coercion" section: 1981 Declaration of the General Assembly Art. 1 (2): "No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have a religion or belief of his choice."Human Rights Committee general comment 22 Para . 5: "Article 18.2 bars coercion that would impair the right to have or adopt a religion or belief, including the use of threat of physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers to adhere to their religious beliefs and congregations, to recant their religion or belief or to convert...The same protection is enjoyed by holders of all beliefs of a non-religious nature.
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1296620819.
The opening as it stood in 2010
A forced conversion is the conversion to a religion or philosophy against the will of the subject, often with the threatened consequence of earthly penalties or harm. These consequences range from job loss and social isolation to incarceration , torture or death . Typically, such a conversion entails the repudiation of former religious or philosophical convictions.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 370824426.
The opening as it stood in 2015 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
A forced conversion is the religious conversion or acceptance of a philosophy against the will of the subject, often with the threatened consequence of earthly penalties or harm. These consequences range from job loss and social isolation to incarceration , torture or death . It is a form of religious cleansing .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 666411685.
The opening as it stood in 2020 3 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Adoption of a different religion or irreligion under duress sidebar Forced conversion is adoption of a different religion or irreligion under duress .Someone who has been forced to convert may continue, covertly, with the beliefs and practices originally held, while outwardly behaving as a convert.Crypto-Jews , crypto-Christians , crypto-Muslims and crypto-Pagans are historical examples of the latter.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 965186029.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023
Adoption of a different religion or irreligion under duress For conversion of data types, see Type punning . sidebar Forced conversion is the adoption of a different religion or the adoption of irreligion under duress .Someone who has been forced to convert to a different religion or irreligion may continue, covertly, to adhere to the beliefs and practices which were originally held, while outwardly behaving as a convert. Crypto-Jews , Crypto-Christians , Crypto-Muslims and Crypto-Pagans are historical examples of the latter. Freedom from coercion" section: 1981 Declaration of the General Assembly Art. 1 (2): "No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have a religion or belief of his choice."Human Rights Committee general comment 22 Para . 5: "Article 18.2 bars coercion that would impair the right to have or adopt a religion or belief, including the use of threat of physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers to adhere to their religious beliefs and congregations, to recant their religion or belief or to convert...The same protection is enjoyed by holders of all beliefs of a non-religious nature.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1177720603.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “conversion to a religion or philosophy against the will of the subject”. Today it says “adoption of a religion or irreligion under duress”. This article was not filed under it. Today it is filed under Genocide. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
conversion to a religion or philosophy against the will of the subject
Now
adoption of a religion or irreligion under duress
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
