Despite recent upsurges in worship service attendance among U.S. Protestant teen-agers,
less than one-third of that group report that they read the Bible at least once
a week, according to the National Study of Youth and Religion at the University
of North Carolina.
The majority of U.S. Protestant teen-agers (68 %) say that they read the Bible
less frequently than once a week or not at all, the report said. Of all U.S. teen-agers,
about one in four reads the sacred scripture of their religious tradition weekly
or more often.
The incidence of low Bible reading contrasts with increased numbers of U.S. teen-agers
claiming religious affiliations and attending worship services in recent years,
principal researcher Christian Smith said.
"The findings here suggest that far fewer U.S. teens regularly engage in more
personal religious practices of faith (like scripture reading) that many religious
traditions, especially Protestantism, have long emphasized as crucial for spiritual
growth," he said.
By Bill Broadway
(c) 2004, The Washington Post
Originally Posted: Aug 4, 2004 at 2:38 PM Last Updated: Aug 4, 2004 at 2:38 PM
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