Teens and church
I almost missed last week's Associated Press report on the National Study of Youth and Religion.
Maybe it just didn't seem much like news:
"Researchers found devout teens hold more traditional values on sex and other issues than their nonreligious counterparts and are better off in terms of emotional health, academic success, community involvement, concern for others, trust of adults and avoidance of risky behavior," the AP article, published Feb. 24 in the N&R, stated.
"The four-year effort was conducted by 133 researchers and consultants led by sociologist Christian Smith of UNC-Chapel Hill."
Not all the news was good: Teens surveyed also revealed "remarkably shallow" religious knowledge and "have a tough time expressing the difference that faith makes in their lives."
But something must be rubbing off.
Why do I think this isn't really news? It generally conforms to my observations of teenagers who are active in church.
These are tough times to raise teenagers. Parents - especially those who don't think religion matters - should be interested in the findings of this study. Maybe pastors, youth ministers, rabbis, etc., should order a copy for their place of worship. It seems to argue strongly for the importance of their work.
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Parents should lead by example.
Posted on February 28, 2005 10:29 PM