Study shows Children who grow up with divorced parents 'are less likely to be religious'

Children raised by divorced parents are more likely than children whose parentsare married to be non-religious as adults, according to a new study.With a rise in religiously unaffiliated Americans over the years, a survey suggests that family stability or inabilitycan impact a child's religious identity asan adult.

Findings showed that 35 per cent of people raised by divorced parents considered themselves to be religiously unaffiliated compared to 23 per cent of people whose parents were married during most of their formative years.Divorce even impacts how often people who remain religiously affiliated attend a religious service, according to the survey from The Public Religion Research Institute.

Thirty-one per cent of people raised by divorce parents who remain religiously affiliated attend religious services at least once a week.This is compared to 43 per cent of their peers whose parents were married during their childhood.Luther Seminary professor Andrew RoottoldThe Washington Postthat when it comes to divorce, everything gets divided including religion.'Literally everything. Parents' friends get divided. Relatives get divided. Everyone takes sides,' Roots told the newspaper.'Even religion takes sides. The church gets divided. Dad leaves mom's faith, or vice versa. Negotiating those worlds becomes difficult.'

culled from dailymail