Yet religion is seldom studied or encouraged by government crime fighters. The decline in moral training parallels the collapse of families. The Justice Department reports a relationship between family structure changes and crime. One of the best ways to ensure that children will remain law abiding is for their parents to remain married. In addition, parents who incorporate God into their lives can provide their children with a moral compass to help them find their way in a dark and turbulent time.
Religion appears to help vaccinate marriages against divorce.
Studies show that couples who attend church only once a year are 100 percent more likely to divorce or separate than couples who attend church once or more per month. Church attendance can thus help insulate children from criminal activity. Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Fellowship, argues that crime is a moral problem, a questions of individual conscience. A society that has no moral compass is understandably ripe for deviant behavior. Crime today is often explained in terms of unemployment, racism, poor housing, too little schooling, and a lack of self esteem.