FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Difference between revisions of "Question: Does increasing education among Mormons lead to decreased faith or religious practice?"
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==Question== | ==Question== | ||
| − | + | I've heard that increasing education leads to decreased faith or religious practice. How do Mormons fare in this instance? | |
==Answer== | ==Answer== | ||
| − | + | Members of the Church seem to buck the general trend in which more education results in a person becoming more secularized. | |
| − | |||
| − | {{ | + | The classic study on this matter is: |
| + | * Stan L. Albrecht, Tim B. Heaton, "Secularization, Higher Education, and Religiosity," ''Review of Religious Research'' 26/1, Special Issue Co-Sponsored by the Society for the Sociological Study of Mormon Life and the Family and Demographic Institute of Brigham Young University (Sepember 1984): 437ndash;58. {{link|url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0034-673X(198409)26:1%3C43:SHEAR%3E2.0.CO;2-H}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | As one example, note that Church attendence for Mormons actually ''increases'' as they gain more education: | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Image:Education_and_Church_attendance.jpg]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Other resources are available in the "Further reading" section below. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Among other things, such statistics put the lie to claims by critics that believing Mormons are either ignorant, dupes, or ill-informed. As members of the Church become better informed, they give more, not less, attention to their beliefs. This suggests that LDS beliefs provide a spiritually ''and'' intellectually satisfying aspect of their lives. | ||
==Endnotes== | ==Endnotes== | ||
| Line 21: | Line 29: | ||
===FAIR web site=== | ===FAIR web site=== | ||
| + | * Scott Gordon, "Education, Scholarship, and Mormonism," FAIR. {{fairlink|url=http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Education_Scholarship_and_Mormonism.html}} | ||
{{CultureAttitudeFAIR}} | {{CultureAttitudeFAIR}} | ||
===External links=== | ===External links=== | ||
| + | * "Mormons, education, and intellect," ''Adventures in Mormonism'' blog (6 May 2007). {{link|url=http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Education_Scholarship_and_Mormonism.html}} | ||
{{CultureAttitudeLinks}} | {{CultureAttitudeLinks}} | ||
===Printed material=== | ===Printed material=== | ||
{{CultureAttitudePrint}} | {{CultureAttitudePrint}} | ||
Revision as of 17:26, 13 January 2008
This article is a draft. FairMormon editors are currently editing it. We welcome your suggestions on improving the content.
This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.
Contents
Question
I've heard that increasing education leads to decreased faith or religious practice. How do Mormons fare in this instance?
Answer
Members of the Church seem to buck the general trend in which more education results in a person becoming more secularized.
The classic study on this matter is:
- Stan L. Albrecht, Tim B. Heaton, "Secularization, Higher Education, and Religiosity," Review of Religious Research 26/1, Special Issue Co-Sponsored by the Society for the Sociological Study of Mormon Life and the Family and Demographic Institute of Brigham Young University (Sepember 1984): 437ndash;58. off-site
As one example, note that Church attendence for Mormons actually increases as they gain more education:
Other resources are available in the "Further reading" section below.
Among other things, such statistics put the lie to claims by critics that believing Mormons are either ignorant, dupes, or ill-informed. As members of the Church become better informed, they give more, not less, attention to their beliefs. This suggests that LDS beliefs provide a spiritually and intellectually satisfying aspect of their lives.
Endnotes
None
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
FAIR web site
- Scott Gordon, "Education, Scholarship, and Mormonism," FAIR. FAIR link
External links
- "Mormons, education, and intellect," Adventures in Mormonism blog (6 May 2007). off-site