Family Life

12.08.11 | Jeremy Miller

Family Life recently aired an interesting conversation with our Martha Manikas-Foster about whether attending church is important. A new Barna Poll shows church attendance has dropped 10 % over the past 20 years among Evangelicals. Reasons for this include the internet, the growing home church movement and church abuse. However, some atheists may see church as essential to the development and cohesion of the family. A new study revealed 1-in-5 atheist scientists attend church with their family.  According to The Christian Post, Dr. Elaine Howard Ecklund of Rice University says, quote, "our research shows just how tightly linked religion and family are in U.S. society."  Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director for the American Humanist Association, was not surprised at the findings. He says, quote, "certainly many atheists do attend church services and according to a Pew Forum survey, many a percentage of people who identify with nearly every faith are also atheists and agnostics." If one-fifth of atheist scientists see church as an important factor in their families, how important should church be for you?