Family Facts: Social Science Research on Family, Society & Religion
Top Ten Findings
For the Common Good: How Religious Attendance Encourages Civic Engagement
December 2007
1. High school seniors who frequently attend religious services are more likely to volunteer every week than peers who attend less frequently. Among a sample of 2,423 high school seniors, 17 percent of those attending religious services at least once a week participated in weekly volunteer activities whereas only 7 percent of those who did not attend weekly religious services participated in weekly volunteer activities.
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2. Youth who participate in religious activities are more likely to engage in local community service and to value volunteerism. High school students who engaged in religious youth activities were more likely to volunteer and participate in local community service and to value such civic involvement, which, in turn, predicted their civic participation and value in young adulthood.
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3. Individuals who regularly attend religious services are more likely to volunteer for secular causes than peers who seldom or never attend. Compared with peers who seldom or never attended a house of worship, individuals who attended weekly or more often were 31 percentage points more likely to volunteer for causes that were completely secular (60% vs. 29%).
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4. Individuals who are members of church-related organizations are more likely to join non-religious organizations as well. On average, individuals who reported a high frequency of membership in church organizations were more likely to report participation in secular organizations when compared to those who reported not participating in church organizations.
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5. Compared with peers who seldom attend, individuals who attend religious services weekly are more likely to give monetarily to non-religious causes. The level of religious service attendance was related to charitable giving to non-religious causes. Individuals who reported attending religious services once a week or more were, on average, 10 percent more likely to give to non-religious charitable causes than those who reported attending religious services less than a few times a year.
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6. Individuals who frequently attend religious services are more likely to engage in community projects and to volunteer than those who attend infrequently. Frequency of church attendance was related to civic participation, which was measured as volunteering and participation in community projects. On average, individuals who reported a high frequency of church attendance were more likely to have higher levels of civic participation compared to those who reported a low frequency of church attendance.
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7. Individuals who frequently attend religious services tend to have a more trusting attitude toward society than those who seldom attend. Individuals who reported a high frequency of church attendance tended to have a trusting attitude toward society then those who reported a low frequency of church attendance. Trust was measured by three questions: (1) “Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted, or that you can’t be too careful in dealing with people?”; (2) “Do you think most people would try to take advantage of you if they got the chance or would they try to be fair?”; and (3) “Would you say that most of the time people try to be helpful, or that they are just looking out for themselves?”
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8. Individuals who attend religious services weekly are more likely to volunteer for school and youth than peers who seldom attend. Individuals who reported attending religious services once a week or more were more likely to volunteer for school and youth groups than those who reported attending religious services less than a few times a year.
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9. Individuals who frequently attend religious services and consider religion to be important in their lives are more likely to give money to the poor. Religious commitment, as measured by religious attendance and the importance of religious faith, was related to charitable giving. Individuals who reported high levels of religious commitment were, on average, more likely to give money to the poor than those who reported low levels of religious commitment.
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10. Individuals who frequently attend religious services are more likely to give in informal ways than peers who seldom or never attend. Compared with peers who seldom or never attended a house of worship, individuals who attended services weekly or more often were more likely to give informally and to do so more often. For example, religious individuals were 57 percent more likely than their secular counterparts to help a homeless person at least once a month.
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Resources
Events:Religious Practice and Civic Life: What the Research Says October 4, 2007 |