Race and Religion on college campuses:

http://insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/06/religion

In April, a team of education researchers released data showing that most freshmen at four-year colleges are on a spiritual quest in college, not just an educational quest.

Today, the team is releasing data breaking down the data by race and gender. The figures that stand out most dramatically are those about black students, who are by far more religious than other students on a number of measures. Significantly larger percentages of black students than other students believe in God, pray and regularly attend religious services, according to the new information released by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Religious Practices of Freshmen, by Race

Percent of Freshmen Who...

Believe in God// Pray// Frequently Attend Services

White 78 67 42
Black 95 91 53
Am. Indian 80 72 42
Asian Amer. 65 61 35
Hawaiian 84 75 47
Latino 84 75 39
All 79 69 42

The study also found a gender gap, but the differences there were smaller. On the question of belief in God, 82 percent of women and 74 percent of men said that they did, for example.

To see the figures for seniors, who have gone through four years of education independent of their parents, to see if the rates are much different. Freshman are still very much following the mores and rules that they were indoctrinated with. Seniors might be more likely to have broken free.

Personally, I was attending services and even a campus religious group as a freshman. But circumstances in my later years (realizing that my church experience had left out a good many facts and having to face issues like abortion and homophobia on a personal level) led me to nearly eschew religion completely just three years later.

also, I wonder about the "halo" effect (as it were) here. How many freshmen (being young) still feel a little push to say "yes" to these questions because the still think they should feel that way (of course, in my day, younger people felt much stronger pressure to rebel against the "shoulds," but that apparently has changed in general.

My religious philosophy changed dramatically once I was exposed to other points of view.

Living at home with one's parents can have quite a bubble effect.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Most college freshman have never been exposed to any world view besides the one their family, culture taught them.

Another similar factor is that freshmen are on their own for the first time and tend to look for groups and ideas to attach themselves to. Whatever their upbringing, it's very comforting to go to a Campus Crusade meeting and be told that coursework and the other pressures of their new lives are less important than having the right religion.

Four years later, they're individuals with ideas of their own and less likely to need to belong to things.

just like bruce springsteen. Just kidding.

I teach philosophy at a small university campus. A former student of mine, a non-trad (30ish)who has spent time in the military came to see me about two weeks ago. I consider this student a friend as he has been around for quite a while, earning his degree part time. He's a very bright student, enthusiastic, etc. He was raised in a strict religious environment and considers himself a devout believer. He approached me supposedly for advice on writing a paper, but I believe the real reason was that he had had an humiliating experience in his anatomy class.

He had been taught creationism at the religious school he attended K-12. Recently, when they were learning/memorizing the human skeletal system, he corrected or challenged the teacher asserting that male skeletons were inaccurate in that they did not show the "missing rib" in all males. He was completely humiliated in class and is now quite bitter that he was lied to. I at first thought he was pulling my leg, but I have since learned that this actually happened. I can't begin to describe how this among other things has affected this man emotionally. We're still talking on a weekly basis.