There may be a surprising link between divorce and religion. A new study found that children with parents who divorced are less likely to be religious when they grow up.
Two-thirds of children who grew up with married parents are more religious than children with divorced parents after they become adults. The study also noted that church attendance may be changing among young adults, which may be part of the reason adults from divorced families are less likely to be religious.
The study found that one-third of U.S. adults under the age of 30 has no religious affiliation. This means that many more young adults are less likely to be religious regardless of whether or not their parents got divorced. However, the study does point out that there is some link between children with parents who divorce and their religious faith.
Church affiliations say that many churches have not made an effort to include children of divorce nor do they really address the impact of divorce on families and how they can maintain their faith. They said that churches and religious organizations need to be aware of the impact divorce may have on children’s faith and what they can do to continue a family’s involvement in their faith after divorce.
The study’s researchers said that churches should try to use more social sciences and story-based literature in their services to address the different types of families that are members of their church. They said churches need to be more authentic to bring in real concerns and issues that families of divorce face in their lives.
Source: World, “Divorce breeds spiritual disconnect,” Tiffany Owens, Jan. 24, 2013
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