Children of divorce: Kids less likely to follow faith

Divorce often leaves children conflicted, confused and even bitter when it comes to matters of faith, according to Elizabeth Marquardt, author of the book Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce.

Marquardt, whose own parents are divorced and who is the director for the Center for Marriage and Families at the nonpartisan Institute for American Values, discovered that even children whose parents have a "good divorce" can suffer longstanding religious consequences.

Children of divorce are less likely to have had consistent involvement in a religious faith when growing up.

* Those who were active in a religion during childhood received little or no support from their church during their parents' divorce.

* In adulthood, children of divorce are much less religious than peers from intact families.

* Young adults from divorced families feel just as spiritual as their peers, but their spiritual journeys are more often characterized by loss and suffering.

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