Religion and good behavior
December 14, 2006| By Nathaniel Ward
Teenagers are often rebellious, to say the least, and are likely to find themselves in a fair amount of trouble. As it turns out, not all teens get into the same kinds of trouble—and religion and family structure play a vital role in how this plays out, according to new data compiled by Heritage’s FamilyFacts.org.
Compared to teens from non-intact families and those with infrequent religious attendance, teens from intact families with frequent religious attendance:
- Earned the highest GPA, on average.
- Are least likely to have ever gotten into a fight.
- Are least likely to have ever used hard drugs.
- Are least likely to have ever committed a theft of $50 or more.
- Are least likely to have ever shoplifted.
- Are least likely to have ever run away.
- Averaged the fewest sexual partners.
- Are least likely to have ever been drunk.
- Are least likely to have been expelled or suspended from school.
These traditional American values—religious belief and strong families—are unfortunately undermined by big government programs. Ever-larger impersonal government programs, Heritage experts reported in the 2006 Index of Dependency, have “‘crowded out’ what were once social obligations and services carried out by community groups, family networks, and even local governments.” If we’re to allow families to flourish and reinforce these values, cutting back big government is vital.
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.
