From the left field...

[Kris_J]

To converts to another denomination/religion or to theism/atheism:

Just curious - Are your biological parents divorced/separated?

I'm curious if there is a trend there.

Comments welcome too from all.

 

[Kris_J]

Children of divorce (whose parents divorced while they were children) are 62% more likely than children of non-divorced parents to no longer identify with the faith of their parents when they grow up. Catholics were 1.7 times more likely to switch to a moderate
Protestant denomination, 2.6 times more likely to switch to a conservative
Protestant denomination, and 2.2 times as likely to apostatize.
For moderate protestants, parental divorce doubles the likelihood of
switching from that faith to Catholicism. The authors interpret this as a
seeking of a stronger religious community. This group is 2.2 times more likely to reject religion altogether than children of intact families with similar faiths.
For conservative Protestants, the increased risk is about 1.5 for changing
to a more moderate denomination, and 2.7 times for rejecting the faith altogether.
Lawton, L. E., & Bures, R. (2001). Parental Divorce and the "Switching" of Religious Identity. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 40, 99-111. Synopsis by Scott Stanley, on the Smart Marriages Archive 2/25/02, modified.


http://www.divorcereform.org/all.html#anchor1210596

 

[Gardenia]

Yes. Biological parents are not together.

Yes, I've converted religions/traditions. My parents are not together, they split when I was about 2 probably. My mom was no religion at the time, and is now Wiccan. My father is/was agnostic. However, it was my grandparents who raised me, they're still together. My grandmother being Shinto, and my grandfather not really being any religion.. if you asked, he may say he was Christian, but it's never been a major part of his life. I was raised loosley Christian, then did a lot of seeking, mostly through pagan religions. My parents and grandparents always supported me through this.

 

[Aradia]

Yes. Biological parents are still together.

FWIW, my parents are what I consider "weak christians", to steal a phrase from the atheists. Church on christmas and easter, occasionally other times, but not very devout. I do question my father's beliefs, though; he always seemed more agnostic than christian, and never seemed interested in talking specifics, which is a plus in my book. Although raised christian, I never believed in god. After learning about quite a variety of religions (due to debating from a young age), I now consider myself a buddhist.

 

[Kris_J]

Thanks for sharing, Aradia & Gardenia.

 

[AlexandraB]

"There are lies, there are damned lies - then there are statistics."
Mark twain.

I personally am a little wary (not wEary!) of statistics... I never know what their objective is...
to start arguments?
What does anyone really care about these things, until these statistics pop up?
Then, it's:
"Ooooh, that's interesting!"
Why?
Was one interested before?
Nobody knows the fundamental reasons for all these divorces, or why people chose the religions they coverted or turned to....
So why bother?
Statistics show that 76% of discussions based on statistics end with the statistics being disproven.

Sorry, that should read 82%

 

[Kris_J]

Are you proposing that we should just not explore the idea on whether children of divorced parents have a greater tendency to switch religions?

 

[Aradia]

I personally am a little wary (not wEary!) of statistics... I never know what their objective is...

Duh! It's a fact that 58% of people enjoy taking polls. Sheesh!

 

[AlexandraB]

Are you proposing that we should just not explore the idea on whether children of divorced parents have a greater tendency to switch religions?

Finding out the true result is one thing. Fine. it satisfies a curiosity.
But why would you want to know?
What would you do with that knowledge?
What purpose would knowing, serve you?
How useful would it be to you, for the furtherance of what you think say and do?

If you were to tell me 100% of children of divorced parents switch their religion to, say, catholicism, that would be a very interesting point.
That would be worth investigating.
Otherwise....
So what?

 

[arunma]

Interesting, but I don't know how scientific this poll will be. Well, I voted: Yes. Biological parents are together.

 

[IceJad]

Yes. Parents still together.

I was a buddhist although it was my father who wrote that in my birth cert now a Christian . My father is still a buddhist but rarely practises and my mother is reborned-Christian. We live together with some problems but never about religion. All in all happy family of 3.

 

[PastorMikeJ]

Yes I voted that both of my bio. parents are together...they are both in Heaven together..they both are dead...they were Catholic.... I was born again Catholic 8 years after I was renewed and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit...Then God told me that it was time to take what He had taught me to others...He led me to the AOG... now he has called me out of there after 23 years to a non denominational church...

 

[Diane_Windsor]

I voted Yes. Biological parents are together.

Raised Southern Baptist, now Methodist. However, I did not go from Point A to Point B in a single line if you catch my drift, and I am always studying religion.

DIANE

 

[Maize]

Yes. Biological parents are together.

I was raised Christ of Christ, but my whole family left that church when I was a teenager. My mom is Presbyterian now, as are 2 of my sisters. Dad goes to church with them, but is not as involved, nor has he become a member, as far as I know. I am a very happy Unitarian Universalist. Mom and Dad have been married for 32 years.