Knight Rider News
April 1996 – Congress and the White House are wracking their brains over how to solve all manner of seemingly intractable social ills. Yet, study after study in the social sciences is showing not only government’s incompetence in solving many social problems, but also the amazingly positive impact of a much maligned, often ignored institution: religion.
Whether you are a believer or not, there is one truth no one can ignore: Religious belief and practice are demonstrably the strongest social forces against practically any social ill you can name. It’s time for our national leaders to stop ignoring this most powerful of all social goods and enlist its aid.
Professor Allan Bergin, a research psychologist honored by the American Psychological Association in 1990, says “some religious influences (are) the mental equivalent of nuclear energy.” Indeed, in a recent survey of the social science literature on the influence of religion on social behavior, I came upon an overwhelming number of studies confirming again and again that:
Regular religious practice inoculates individuals against a host of social problems including suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and crime. For example, alcohol abuse is 300 percent higher among those who do not attend church or synagogue, according to a study by the UCLA School of Medicine. States with larger religious populations tend to have fewer homicides and fewer suicides – in fact, the rate of church attendance predicts the suicide rate better than any other factor, including unemployment. A study by the University of Nevada shows that the key difference between black men who wind up in prison and those who don’t is that the former didn’t go to church, or stopped going at around 10 years of age.
The regular practice of religion is instrumental in helping poor people move out of poverty and welfare dependency. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), the best national sample for tracking the development of America’s youth from the late 1970s through the 1980s, shows that regular church attendance helps young people escape the poverty of inner city life. Among those who attended church or synagogue weekly in both 1979 and 1982, average family income was consistently more than 50% higher than for those who practice no religious observance. Those who regularly attend religious services in their youth have about $11,000 more in yearly income by their early 30s.
The strength of the family unit – under attack from illegitimacy and family breakup – is intertwined with the practice of religion. Those who regularly attend religious services are more likely to be married, less likely to be divorced or single, and more likely to have happy marriages. When marital separation occurs, reconciliation rates are higher among regular attendees, and highest when both spouses have the same high level of religious observance. Reviews of the literature demonstrate that nearly without exception, religious practice sharply reduces the incidence of premarital intercourse leading to illegitimacy. The reverse is also true: The absence of religious practice accompanies sexual permissiveness and premarital sex. This is confirmed in numerous studies, including a 1991 analysis of the federal government’s authoritative NLSY study.
There are many other benefits that correlate strongly with religious practice and belief, such as less depression (a modern epidemic), more self esteem, increased longevity, improved recovery from illness and less incidence of many deadly diseases.
Clearly, religion is a powerful answer to many of our most significant social problems. It is available to all, and at no cost. For the sake of our nation’s future health, and without violating the legitimate separation of church and state, Congress needs to begin a new national debate to help renew the role of religion in American life. Congress’ accounting arm, the General Accounting Office, should be asked to review the evidence and report its findings to a national commission formed to promote the consideration of religious practice among U.S. citizens.
The President should appoint federal judges who are more sensitive to the role of religion in public life. He should direct the U.S. Census Bureau to record levels of religious practice in the census for the year 2000. And he should issue a directive to federal agencies making clear that cooperation between government entities and the social, medical and educational services of faith-based organizations does not violate separation of church and state.
Lastly, and most important of all, America’s religious leaders need to recognize the vital role they have to play in bringing our country back to a state of social health. Only then, when all the weapons at our disposal are in use, can we finally make some headway against problems many of us had all but lost hope of solving. 
