b'bocnews.com SCRIPTUREThe Stats on Faith and FatherhoodBy Jack Brewer holdsofanycountryintheentire world.The statistics also tell us that father-L awmakers should follow the datalessness is a heavy indicator with a and the science because they willwide range of adverse outcomes for a eventuallypointthemto.Statisticschilds future. For example, 90% of all in the United States dont liethehomeless and runaway children come numberofreligiousAmericansandfrom fatherless homes, as well as 85% families with a father in the home isof children and teens with behavioral onarapiddecline.disordersand63% WithoutChrist,weof teens who commit willnotseethesesuicide.trendsreserved.AsStudiesalsoindi-a former NFL player,catethatfatherless Ihadtodealwithchildrenaremore statistics a lot dur- likelytodropoutof ingmytimeintheschoolandto repeat league.Icametoaclassthanchil-understandthat drenwithbothpar-COMPLIMENTS OF AURORA ICON: whilestatisticsdoentsinthehome. notalwaysofferFatherlessnessalso topredictexact DR. BARBARA SHANNON-BANISTER results,compiledrelatestocriminal-datausuallypro- ity,asabout70% videsatleastsomeofalltheyouthsin CALL: ACCESS AURORAindicationastoout during theJack Brewer state-operatedinsti-futureperformancetutionscomefrom andhowwecansingle-parenthomes. expect things to playOverall, fatherless children are more likely to be incarcerated than children for Municipalnext game. havenoticedafewtrou- fromtwo-parenthomesandmore Today,Ilikely to exhibit criminal behavior.bling statistics regarding the declineDeep down, Americans understand of Christianity and the rise of father-thisdataandrealizethatfather-Information lessnessinAmerica.Asourcoun- hood is essential to a stable society. trymovesforward,thesenumbersAccording to survey data from Scott couldhaveseriousconsequencesRasmussen, 84% of Americans believe forthefutureofourcountryifweastrongfamilyisfoundationaltoa dontreversethesetrends.Onlystrong America, and 65% agree that about 65% of American adults iden-303-739-7000 tifyasChristiantoday,accordingchildren who grow up fatherless are toPewResearch.Thisnumberisatasignificantdisadvantageinlife. down12percentagepointsovertheAlong those same lines, another 84% lastdecade.Additionally,only47%thinkthatparents,ratherthanthe ofAmericanadultsbelongedtoacommunity, bear the primary respon-church,synagogue,ormosqueinsibility for raising children, and 67% 2020, which was down more than 20believethatthedeclineofthefam-points since the turn of the 21st cen- ily is harming Americas growth and tury. Church membership in Americaprosperity.was at 73% when Gallup began col- If these trends continue, our coun-lecting its data in 1937. trys very future could be in jeopardy. Furthermore,ourNationisseeingFaith and family are two of the most great discrepancies when these num- sacred values in our society. As they bersarebrokendownbyage.Justbothdecline,weexpectmanyother 49%ofmillennialsdescribethem- issuestofollow.Risingcrimeand selves as Christian today, while moredrug use, failing education systems, than80%oftheSilentGenerationandsomuchmorewillonlycon-and 76% of Baby Boomers do so. Onlytinue to proliferate as Americas faith 22%ofmillennialssaytheyattenddeclinesandfamilyformationdisin-churchatleastonceperweek,andtegrates.almosttwo-thirdssaytheyattendIn the NFL, when we didnt like the church services a few times per yearstatistics in front of us, we called an orless.Somemodelsestimatethataudible and changed the play. At the Americas Christian population couldend of the day, it just came down to fall to as low as 35% by the year 2070hard work. if these trends continue. Thats true of our country too, and Americas decline in faith has large- its up to all of us to call an audible lymirroredadeclineinfatherhood.and lead the charge in returning to a In 1960, only about 9% of Americansociety based on faith and familychildrengrewupwithoutafatherthe things that matter most.in the home. Today, that number is around 25%, for a total of 18.4 million children absent a father in the homeJack Brewer serves as Chair of (the number is over 24 million or 33%the Center for Opportunity Now for children absent a biological fatherandVice-ChairoftheCenter in the home). This is over 3 times thefor1776fortheAmericaFirst world average and the highest rate ofPolicy Institute.children living in single-parent house-8 APRIL 2023 BOCNEWS.com'