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Strong Families + Strong Faith = Strong Kids

December's "Top Ten Findings" highlight data from "A Portrait of Family and Religion in America: Key Outcomes for the Common Good," published last month by The Heritage Foundation. In contrast to other studies evaluating the impact of either family or religion on teen outcomes, this new study takes a unique look at teen outcomes in correlation with both family structure and religious participation.

The study compares a number of social outcomes among four groups of teenagers: (1) those from intact families with frequent religious attendance, (2) those from intact families with low or no religious attendance, (3) those from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance, and (4) those from non-intact families with low or no religious attendance.

1.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were least likely to have ever gotten into a fight. Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were least likely to have ever gotten into a fight (27.1 percent) when compared to (a) their peers from intact families with infrequent religious attendance (32.1 percent), (b) peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (34.3 percent), and (c) peers from non-intact families with infrequent religious attendance (43.5 percent).

2.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were least likely to have ever used hard drugs. Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were least likely to have ever used hard drugs (8.5 percent) compared to (a) their peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (9.5 percent), (b) peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (14.6 percent), and (c) peers from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (20.1 percent).

3.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were least likely to have ever committed a theft of $50 or more. Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever committed a theft of $50 or more (11.7 percent) when compared to (a) those from intact families with low to no religious attendance (15.3 percent), (b) those from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (15.8 percent), and (c) those from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (23.5 percent).

4.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever shoplifted. Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever shoplifted (6.1 percent) when compared to (a) their peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (7.9 percent), (b) peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (9.9 percent), and (c) peers from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (12.3 percent).

5.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever run away. Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever run away (5.2 percent) when compared to (a) their peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (8.1 percent), (b) peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (8.5 percent), and (c) peers from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (13.1 percent).

6.  Teen girls from intact families with frequent religious attendance averaged the fewest sexual partners. Teen girls from intact families with frequent religious attendance averaged the fewest sexual partners (0.47) when compare to (a) their peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (0.93), (b) peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (1.14), and (c) peers from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (1.55).

7.  Teen boys from intact families with frequent religious attendance averaged the fewest sexual partners. Teen boys from intact families with frequent religious attendance averaged the fewest sexual partners (1.04) when compared to (a) their peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (2.03), (b) peers from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (3.14), and (c) peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (3.92).

8.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever been drunk. Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever been drunk (22.4 percent) when compared to (a) their peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (24.5 percent), (b) peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (33.4 percent), and (c) peers from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (41.2 percent).

9.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have been expelled or suspended from school. Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance were the least likely to have ever been expelled or suspended from school (17.3 percent) when compared to (a) their peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (25.5 percent), (b) peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (32.5 percent), and (c) peers from non-intact families with low or no religious attendance (46.7 percent).

10.  Teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance earned the highest GPA, on average. On average, teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance earned the highest GPA (2.94) when compared to (a) their peers from intact families with low to no religious attendance (2.75), (b) peers from non-intact families with frequent religious attendance (2.72), and (c) peers from non-intact families with low to no religious attendance (2.48).

And despite this I say we need to remove God from our schools, take His name from the pledge and our money.  Strike Him from anything that our government touches. 

We should all join the ACLU because those teens did not have a choice and were forced to go to church all the time and participate in those rituals that turned them into more upstanding citizens.  We cannot have a peaceful society now.

(And please if you did not read that with sarcasm then go back and re-read it with it oozing from the sides)

 :o :o :o :o :o :o



 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;




Amen brother.

Pastor Roger,

I'm shocked.   ;D


I understand that Brother Jerry is trying to start a junior branch of the ACLU so that kids can report their parents for taking them to church.  Did you hear anything about this?

Brother Jerry the next ACLU activist.   ;D ;D ;D ;D 

Brother Jerry, you been hiding something from us?  ;D ;D ;D ;D







Nope, I don't see it except as an activist against them.

Hello Brother Jerry,

You know that I had to kid you some.   ;D   I think that most of us feel the same way about the ACLU. I just skip all the middle men and say that they are working for the devil. Of course, I'm terribly shy on this subject, and my family is working on trying to bring me out of my shell.   ;D


Actually, I've decided to be nice to the ACLU. I started out by buying 10,000 really nice Bible tracts labeled "Distributed by your Local ACLU", and I plan to distribute them on my visit to St. Louis.  Just kidding - or am I?   ;D  If you see something strange in the news about St. Louis and the ACLU, you'll know.

Brother Tom, I like that idea but be prepared for a lawsuit from them.

Their is another idea I like. The Louisiana state Legislature is suggesting that we all give a 'gift' to the federal judiciary:

http://forums.christiansunite.com/index.php?topic=14846.0

I think we should all send the federal judiciary and our congressional members a religious Christmas card and request our Congress to pass this bill.

YES, I've read several very positive things done by various state houses that might eventually be considered in Congress. I also read the one from Louisiana and really liked it.  I really can't remember how many petitions my wife and I have signed to properly address Constitutional matters in a way that takes all of the wiggle room out for liberal, activist Judges. What really gets me is the overwhelming evidence that all of the founding documents have been abused and ravaged in a way that equals absolute nonsense when viewed in context with recorded history and literally tons of documented facts. The intent and purpose is simple enough for a child to understand, but educated devils in black robes have soiled and attempted to destroy recorded history. A child lawyer could make many Supreme Court decisions look like monkeys were sitting on the bench, and this is the only remaining argument for Darwin's Theory of Evolution.    ;D

Now that I think about it, some of the members of the Supreme Court do resemble monkeys somewhat.    ;D

I see the resemblance, too.


(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/randers/MonkeyJudge-764209.jpg)

now you know you would not be shy and in a shell if you were not forced to attend religious services when you were a child. :D

 ;D   ;D   ;D   ;D    ROFL!

I had no idea that someone could come up with one of the judges making the terrible decisions, but now I can't remember his name. His face sure does ring a bell though. Maybe it will come to me later.

Brother Jerry, yes, I was forced to go to church from time to time as a child, but I had a lot of friends at church and really enjoyed it most of the time. It's a good thing because my dad was an old fashioned circuit-type preacher when I was young, and we were in a different church every night for almost the first 6 to 7 years of my life. It slowed down to 4 or 5 times a week after the church was built. I said church, but I really should have said barn, school house, under trees, at cattle auctions, etc., etc. Many of the real church buildings were very old one-room buildings in the country.

Just for info, I would love to be the judge hearing an ACLU case. I would make it a Kodak moment for them.   ;D   In other words, the Kodak moment would be mug-shots taken in the entrance to the jail.   ;D   I'm still far too shy about the ACLU.

I have a kodak moment for them also:

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/randers/Kodiak.jpg)


Oops that's kodiak not kodak and a very hungry one at that.

RORL

YEah he does look like he is sizing that little guy up to see if he will fit.

And PEB I hope you did not think me serious on the repressed childhood thingy about being forced to church and all...was referring to article PR put up on how ACLU was pushing against "forcing" children to attend religous practices.

I see that as the same thing as saying that you shouldn't force children to behave or to go to school or do anything else that they don't "feel" like doing. It is beyond ridiculous. Let's just have complete chaos with everybody doing what they want.

Brothers and Sisters,

I've heard many opinions from the politically correct. I simply say that I give thanks for strong Christian parents who brought me up in the things of the LORD. Raising children according to the Holy Bible will never go out of style. Plainly and bluntly, raising children in the things of the LORD is real love. Any person who had GODLY parents is very fortunate. Earthly wealth and the things of this world are of little importance. I've heard many self-proclaimed intellectuals state that it isn't fair for Christian parents to indoctrinate their children because they have a captive audience. They would prefer that the children be raised by someone else in secular ways. The declining and chaotic societies of today already have the proof of what happens when parents move away from GOD'S Ways.

Love In Christ,
Tom