MUMFORD & SONS - DELTA
THE BEATLES (WHITE ALBUM) box set

GOING TO CHURCH IS GOOD FOR KIDS... SAYS A HARVARD UNIVERSITY STUDY

4 Stocki Girls

I have been saying for many years that even if I was an atheist I would send my children to Church.

There are so many skills emotional, mental and social, as well as the seemingly obvious spiritual, that I have watched my children gain from growing up in an all age community where we laugh when each other laughs and weep when each other weeps.

I remember not long after arriving at Fitzroy seeing my daughters, around nine and eleven, in conversation with an elder member of the Church. There was natural chat. Where else would my daughters feel so comfortable in the present of people so much older?

I have then watched my daughters gain confidence by being involved in a space they are comfortable in. A daughter standing in front of a mic or the other articulating philosophical questions. One finding her vocational direction as she help out at creche or babysitting the children of the congregation, the other looking ahead to study Development at University because of constant mission trip to Africa.  Their personal statements on their University application forms were richer for all their leadership opportunities.

There is more. My friend Andy used to say that musicians coming out of Churches have a huge advantage. With worship at the centre of the community, there are not only opportunities to play with other musicians but an opportunity to play in public. The same is true in the honing of organisational skills. Those children’s clubs or youth clubs or whatever else. To be thrown in to planning such events can put you ahead of the kids without the Church framework. My friend Mark went to a Student Union meeting about Making Poverty History and ended up the chair because he was the only one with previous leadership skills.

Oh the opportunities that come from growing up in Church.

Today’s Irish Times ran with a study by Harvard University that agrees with me that bringing a child up with religion is a positive thing. They begin with Richard Dawkins famous put down on such a abhorrent idea. In his book The God Delusion he wrote, “Horrible as sexual abuse no doubt was, the damage was arguably less than the long-term psychological damage inflicted by bringing the child up Catholic in the first place”.

Not so, says the recent Harvard Study. Studying 5,000 adoelsacnets over eight years they found fascinating results. 

“… those who regularly attend religious services, at least once weekly, are 12 per cent less likely to suffer from depression, 33 per cent less likely to use illegal drugs, 18 per cent more likely to report high levels of happiness and 87 per cent more likely to have high levels of forgiveness compared with those who never attend religious services.”

There is more:

“…those who pray/meditate frequently, at least once a day, are 30 per cent less likely to start having sex at a young age, 40 per cent less likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease, 38 per cent more likely to volunteer for community service and 47 per cent more likely to have a strong sense of purpose in life, compared with those who never pray.”

Oh don’t get me wrong, I understand many of the errors and horrific things have happened to people in Church. However, I stand with my own personal thought that even if I wasn’t atheist I would send my children to Church. 

In the right Church, surrounded by a community who get as close to the real Jesus and the good news he brought, I can see way more benefits than negatives. Delighted that Harvard and their scientific research back me up.

Forgive me for gloating but the Church needs all the positives it can get just now! 

Read The Irish Times here

Comments

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Your Information

(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)