Religious attendance predicts fidelity

PASADENA, Calif., April 11 (UPI) -- Attendance at religious services predicts marital fidelity, but U.S. researchers say they are not sure why.

David C. Atkins and Deborah E. Kessel of the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., examined whether dimensions of religious life -- including prayer, closeness to God, faith and religious activities -- related to infidelity, using structured, face-to-face interviews with questions related to religion and spirituality.

The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family, found that religious service attendance was the only unique, religious predictor of infidelity. Prayer, importance of religiousness and strong reported faith were not predictors, the researchers said.

The authors said they believe religious attendance may imply prevention of infidelity in the sense that it is a shared activity between spouses.

Attending services can create a strong network of relationships within the church, synagogue, or mosque that can provide social support. Attending services also affords lots of opportunity to hear teaching on marital fidelity and the importance of marriage.

"Our study focuses the spotlight on religious service attendance with respect to this important aspect of marital life," the authors said in a statement. "It opens the door for a host of questions about why attendance might have this special association."