By Kayla DeKraker
Belief in God and interest in religion are on the rise in young men, a recent Gallup poll found, even surpassing that of young women.
According to the poll, 42% of young men now say religion is “very important” to them, a sharp increase from 28% just a few years earlier. On the other hand, young women’s faith has remained mostly stable at around 30%.
Gallup reported, “With the recent surge in their attachment to religion, young men have returned to the high point of their expressed religiosity of the past 25 years, roughly tying the 43% found in 2000-2001. By contrast, women of all age groups and older men are at or near their historical lows.”
Related: A Message to Fathers Everywhere
Hopefully interest in faith increases in other demographics, but it’s encouraging to see young men taking the charge. Many studies show the importance of Godly men and fathers in the home.
“Fathers are far more than just ‘second adults’ in the home. Involved fathers – especially biological fathers – bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring,” said Dr. David Popenoe, professor of Sociology at Rutgers University and Co-Director of the National Marriage Project. “They provide protection and economic support and male role models. They have a parenting style that is significantly different from that of a mother and that difference is important in healthy child development.”
The influence of a father translates to more than just well-being; it impacts the family spiritually. One survey found that “if a child is the first person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5% probability everyone else in the household will follow. If the mother is the first to become a Christian, there is a 17% probability everyone else in the household will follow. However, when the father is first, there is a 93% probability everyone else in the household will follow.”
Though statistics on this vary, they all show that a father has the most influence on whether or not a household follows God.
Recent campus revivals and professional athletes expressing their faith in God have likely played a role in religion’s rebound.
“I believe that America is set for the greatest revival our nation has ever seen,” said UniteUS founder Tonya Prewitt. I believe it’s starting with college students, and the hunger and fire we’re seeing among college students and college campuses is just taking off. It’s a movement.”
Let’s pray that this trend continues.
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