Divorce May Contribute to Views on Religion Among Millennials

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Children of divorce

While the rate of divorce has been on the decline for the last several years—at least according to most estimates—there was a period between the late 1970s and early 1980s at which the divorce rate reached its peak. About half of all of the marriages that took place during that time eventually ended in divorce. The children who were born during that same period largely comprise the generation collectively known as millennials. Much has been written about the differences millennials and the generations which preceded them—Generation X and the Baby Boomers—with one of the most glaring being millennials’ approach to religion. Today, one in four Americans—and nearly 40 percent of millennials—do not associate themselves with any particular faith or religion, a drastic increase from the 5 percent in 1972.

Religion and Divorce

A recent study suggests that there may, in fact, be a connection between the increase in divorce rate and the decrease in religious participation. According to research conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, children of divorced parents are much more likely to have no religious affiliation as adults. The study found that 35 percent of those whose parents were divorced during their childhood identify as non-religious, compared to 23 percent of those whose parents were together during most of their childhood.

Differences Among the Religous

The impact, it seems, is more than just black and white. Even among those who still identify with a particular faith, divorce seems to be a factor. The study found that approximately 43 percent of religious Americans whose parents were married for most of their childhood reported attending at least one service per week. For religious children of divorced parents, that number dropped to 31 percent.

Views on Religion

The increasing self-identification as non-religious can be attributed to much more than just divorce, of course. Much of it stems from the perception that “religion causes more problems than it solves,” a belief shared by approximately two-thirds of the religiously unaffiliated participants in the study. Many continue to acknowledge a higher power of some sort, however, as only one-third of non-religious respondents said that they do not believe in any God whatsoever.

Divorce Help in DuPage County

Regardless of your religious affiliation, divorce can be very difficult on the entire family. That is why it is so important to work closely with an experienced Aurora divorce attorney throughout the process. Contact the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., for a confidential consultation today and get the help you need.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/09/27/how-decades-of-divorce-helped-erode-religion/

http://www.prri.org/research/prri-rns-2016-religiously-unaffiliated-americans/