Ours is increasingly a secular nation. But religion still thrives, particularly in the home.
Parents who actively practice their faiths will more than likely pass their practices down to their children, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. As a result, the vast majority of young adults in the United States share their parents’ religious affiliations, whether that be Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, atheistic, or “nothing in particular.”
These young adults might not take their faiths as seriously as their parents, but that devotion tends to develop as they grow older. Of course, some will abandon public participation in religion after finding autonomy. Still, the odds that they return to the faith or stick with it throughout their adult lives is statistically higher for those raised in religious homes.
The key is to keep the children involved. About 6 in 10 teenagers said they often talk about religion with their family, and nearly half of teenagers said that they say grace or a blessing before family meals. About a quarter of young adults said they regularly read Scripture together. These activities are often initiated by the parents, but nearly 79% of teenagers said they found enjoyment and fulfillment through them.
America’s youth is still trending toward secularization, in large part because their parents are too. But for those who are serious about making religion a priority in their homes, there is hope that the younger generation will follow suit. And the hope is that they will instill the same values in their children and so on.
It won’t be easy. Teaching the faith and its tenets while living them out is one of the greatest responsibilities a parent must bear. But it will yield fruit — the numbers say so.
