Teen birth rates are highest in the most religious states

[Eraserhead]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32884806/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

[Alexander Hamilton]

So living in an area with high teen birth rates drives the other community members toward religion?

[Marokai Backbeat]

Good find. Hardly surprising, however.

Not that this matters to people who don't care about the facts.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I don't get how people need to be taught to use a condom - I never got "the talk" but I know what the heck a condom is, the pill, etc... and that if I were ever to have sex (which I won't before marriage), that I'd need to use a condom and/or (probably and) another form of contraception

[Stranger in a strange land]

old news

[Scam of God]

I remember that this was the subject matter of literally one of the very first threads on the Internet I ever read regarding politics.

There is a direct correlation between the level of a region's religiosity and the average age of first pregnancy - a negative one: the more religious, the lower the age. There's also one between religiosity and divorce rates, and divorce rates and age of pregnancy.

The reason is simply - young girls in these regions who get pregnant at a young age are pressured into marrying young, which very frequently ends badly.

[Silent Hunter]

Religious affiliation statements- which are survey-based only in the US, as the US Census doesn't ask religious affiliation questions- are fairly meaningless. Far more people in my country say they are Christian than regularly attend church.

"Earlier marriage among religious individuals could also partly explain the finding". What's the legal age for marriage in the US?

[Jacobtm]

Average Age of First Marriage.



Marriage age varies by state.

[Stampever]

"Earlier marriage among religious individuals could also partly explain the finding". What's the legal age for marriage in the US?

Varies by state.

[Silent Hunter]

"Earlier marriage among religious individuals could also partly explain the finding". What's the legal age for marriage in the US?

Varies by state.

OK, thanks.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Religious affiliation statements- which are survey-based only in the US, as the US Census doesn't ask religious affiliation questions- are fairly meaningless.

and it also covers up the fact of the high percentage of minorities in the more religious states.  It's like making a comparison with Texas average SAT scores when a good chunk of the Texas population doesn't even speak English.

Instead of  teen birth rates, I would like to know teen pregnancy rates and see a breakdown among religious whites and nonreligious whites of the same income level.

[Stampever]

"Earlier marriage among religious individuals could also partly explain the finding". What's the legal age for marriage in the US?

Varies by state.

OK, thanks.

Try this link:  http://www.coolnurse.com/marriage_laws.htm

[Brittain33]

and it also covers up the fact of the high percentage of minorities in the more religious states.  It's like making a comparison with Texas average SAT scores when a good chunk of the Texas population doesn't even speak English.

Instead of  teen birth rates, I would like to know teen pregnancy rates and see a breakdown among religious whites and nonreligious whites of the same income level.

This isn't exactly what you're asking for, but it's pretty close. Janet is a friend of mine from college who is an observant Jew.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5075NT20090108

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I suppose this conversation could go down a "No True Scotsman" path where we define those people who get pregnant as not really religious, because it they were taking their faith to heart, they wouldn't have messed around.

That might be useful, because it would bring you closer to people who would argue this statistic is significant and relevant to politics.

[Brittain33]

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.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

So you guys are surprised Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee (the four most "religious" states) top the birther lists?

Those 4 states likely lead in a lot of unenviable categories.......

I'm not sure there is this whopping correlation which should make our jaw drop..........

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

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.

[biggzcorey]

Religious people are less likely to use birth control or have abortions, but strangely just as likely to have sex.

[Silent Hunter]

Religious people are less likely to use birth control or have abortions, but strangely just as likely to have sex.

Religious people don't object to sex. Just read Song of Songs.

[ilikeverin]

I remember that this was the subject matter of literally one of the very first threads on the Internet I ever read regarding politics.

There is a direct correlation between the level of a region's religiosity and the average age of first pregnancy - a negative one: the more religious, the lower the age. There's also one between religiosity and divorce rates, and divorce rates and age of pregnancy.

The reason is simply - young girls in these regions who get pregnant at a young age are pressured into marrying young, which very frequently ends badly.

There is a direct correlation between cold-weather-jacket sales and murder rates - a negative one: the more cold-weather jacket sales, the lower the murder rate.  There's also one between murder rates and sunblock sales, and between sunblock sales and school attendance.

The reason is simply - murderers in those regions are more likely to go out and buy sunblock after they commit murders, which in turn depresses cold-weather-jacket sales.  Obviously children are thus frightened by the amount of sunblock on playgrounds, and thus stay home from school.