Factchecking claims that 400 churches were burned to the ground in France
From More or Less by BBC Radio 4
June 6, 2026 · 9 min
About this episode
The episode investigates claims of 400 churches being burned in various countries, focusing on the data behind these assertions.
In certain corners of the internet some suspicious numbers are cropping up again and again. People claiming that 400 churches have been burnt to the ground or attacked in an assortment of countries, including France, the US and Canada. So, what is going on? Is there a spate of anti-Christian crime sweeping the globe? We look into what the data actually tells us. If you've seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at, email moreorless@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter/Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Dave O'Neill
People in this episode
Host: Tim Harford
Topics covered
- factchecking
- anti-Christian crime
- data analysis
- church attacks
- internet claims
Keywords
- churches
- burned
- France
- anti-Christian
- crime
- data
- factchecking
- internet claims
Mentioned in this episode
Places: France, US, Canada
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