Leon J. Podles :: DIALOGUE

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Births and Belief

April 18th, 2009 · 3 Comments

Focus (April 11, 2009) in “Fructbarer Glaube” (not on-line yet) reports on the birthrate in Switzerland in 2000.

Children per woman according to religious membership

2.79 — Hindu

2.44 — Moslem

2.06 — Jewish

1.62 — Eastern Orthodox

1.42 — Buddhist

1.41 — Roman Catholic

1.35 — Protestant

1.24 — Jehovah’s Witnesses

1.11 — No religious association

The Worldwide Value Survey (1986-2004) correlated the number of children and the frequency of prayer

Number of children — Frequency of Prayer

1.48 — Never

1.61 — Seldom

1.86 –- Many Times Times a Month

2.24 — Many Times a Week

We have six children. I say grace at meals, morning and evening prayers (brief) and the Rosary. If Europeans would resume praying, they might not die out.

Tags: Uncategorized · demography

3 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Christian // Apr 18, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Looks like Amish in the photo….here’s some birthrate:

    “A high birth rate feeds Amish growth. Women typically give birth to seven children. Following the toll of death and disease, the number of children averages 6.6 per family.”

    Maybe the meek will inherit the earth after all.

    data from:

    http://www.goodbks.com/excerptpage.asp?ISBN=1561480010

  • 2 Eutychus // Apr 18, 2009 at 7:52 pm

    “If Europeans would resume praying, they might not die out.”

    That’s the best summation I’ve read in a long tme.

  • 3 Jake // Apr 19, 2009 at 3:40 am

    No daily Mass?

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