Taking Your Kids To Church Does Not Help (or Harm) Them

It's common in the U.S. for parents to feel they should take their children to church. That urge is present even among some parents who do not have the faith themselves. There is a view that church teaches some kind of moral values children will not get without it.

Sociologists have been studying the effect of religion on people since forever. Especially they have been interested in its effect on children.

It's probably good to start a discussion of this by noting there is no evidence religious adults have better moral values than those who are not religious. Religious people are over represented in prison compared to those not religious.

It turns out that trying to figure out whether church helps mold children into adults with better moral standards is quite complicated. In the end, the link concludes there is no reason to believe church gives children better moral standards than no church.

This information should guide both parents of others toward a more accurate answer to the question, "Why should people be Christians?" The less accurate answer, the only almost always given, is that Christianity gives people better moral values.

The more accurate answer and the one people should give is, "I like church." Or, "Church is a good place to meet people and make friends." All religions, including Christianity, are about the help they provide individual people. It is not about raising the moral values of society.

If you are a parent, however, sending your children to church does not seem to harm them.