and it also covers up the fact of the high percentage of minorities in the more religious states.
Very uneven. Clearly there's some correlation with Latino numbers, but you can't tell me that Arkansas and Oklahoma are so high, or even Kentucky or Tennessee, based on minorities. Look at how low down the list the diverse state of New York is by contrast. Not to mention California, which is much lower than Texas with comparable demographics.
that's why I included income in the picture. California is the least rural state. You can't compare the behaviors of urban whites in California to poor whites living in Oklahoma small towns where the teen hangout is the only Dairy Queen in town. Their environments (and level of boredom) are totally different.
A better case study to is compare religious and nonreligious kids living in the same neighborhood. That kind of study I have great experience in, as I am a parent of four kids. And I can tell you there is remarkable difference between the kids who love church and those whose family don't even get up on Sunday morning to go to church.
My wife and I
stir steer our kids into making friends with those who not only go to church, but those who love church and love God. That is what is going to make the difference; otherwise, as most of these studies show, religion is worthless.
