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Jason Weeden of Arizona State University, found upon analyzing the responses from over
22,000 mainly Christian Americans, that issues related to sex had the strongest links to those who were attending or would attend church on a regular basis. Subjects covered in the survey were:
marital status, number of children, preferred family size, and moral views on topics like cheating and contraception. Other variables like age, gender or morals did not explain church attendance, even after adjustments were made regarding differences in sexual or family values.
It is now thought that those looking for partners who do so within a religious community reduce the chances of unfaithfulness. Otherwise, the costs are high if a marriage fails:
men risk losing substantial investment if the woman cheats; women risk being abandoned with a large brood and fewer resources to care for them.
The New Scientist goes on to say that Weeden suggests that mating preferences are one of the core reasons of religious choices. As well, having people around you that believe that abandoning or cheating on a spouse are the worst things that one can do to their partner.
"Hardly any of the students in our study were regular churchgoers," he says, "but those who saw themselves as having many kids in stable marriages were the ones who were anticipating regular church attendance in the future."
