The way parents talk about faith with their children can have a bigger impact than just attending church, a study published in Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The research, carried out on more than 16,000 people, shows how the constant dialogue about faith and the example provided in the family significantly influence our life in adulthood.
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Participants who reported having frequent conversations about faith with their parents as children attend services more often as adults, discuss religion more with their own children, and report a stronger sense of belonging to the religious community.
Led by researcher Julia S. Nakamura, the analysis looked at how childhood experiences influence our religious lives as adults. The researchers took into account several factors: the children's relationship with their parents, the stability of the family, the frequency of participation in religious services and how often faith-related topics were discussed at home.
The study's findings show that religious education is not limited to going to church. More important seems to be the relationship built in the family and the constant dialogue between parents and children about religious values, these having an essential role in the way faith is transmitted from one generation to another.
How to talk about faith with teenagers
Caradel Elena Alina, religion teacher, explains for “the truth” that religious education begins in the family and is supported primarily by the behavior of the parents.
“In my opinion, the child must receive religious education from an early age, from the family, and the most important role is played by personal example. Even if the little ones do not understand much, they see what is happening and imitate the behavior of their parents”, she stated.
According to the teacher, children raised in an environment where prayer and religious values are present will seek, with maturity, to better understand the moral and spiritual dimension of faith.
“It is very important to receive good models from the family, and here we have examples from the lives of the saints, who were guided by faithful parents or grandparents, such as the Holy Hierarch Basil the Great”she explained.
The study shows that people who are close to their parents generally feel more connected to the religious community and say they find it easier to forgive. At the same time, those who had frequent family discussions about faith ended up talking about these things with their own children.
Caradel Elena Alina says that adolescence is one of the periods when parents must pay more attention to the way they talk to their children about faith, especially since many young people start to question religious practices precisely during this period.
“Especially in adolescence, it is very important not to be forced about going to church, fasting and prayer, but discussions must be held very calmly, attention to words and prayer coming from the heart”, said the teacher.
She believes that parents must pass on the faith through their own example and through a relationship based on balance and patience.
“As a parent, pray for your child and he will follow your example even if a more rebellious spirit intervenes in adolescence” he also stated this for “The Truth”.
Research data also indicates that people who grew up in stable families and had good relationships with their parents tend to show greater religious involvement in adulthood. Moreover, Caradel Elena Alina emphasizes that discussions about faith are not a process limited to childhood. “Talks about God don't end in a year or two, they last a lifetime”Caradel Elena Alina also said.
