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Have you ever heard the saying "The family that prays together stays together?" Well, back in 2003 that statement gained some popularity. A survey by the National Study of Youth and Religion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that adolescents ages 12 to 14 reared in religious households are more likely than their peers from nonreligious families to admire their mother and father, to not run away from home, to eat dinner with their parents and to have Mom and Dad involved in their social lives.

"There is a consistent association across a variety of measures that more religiously active families with early adolescents in the household exhibit signs of stronger family relationships," said Christian Smith, study director.

Seventy percent of religious youth wanted to be like their parents, and 90 percent enjoyed spending time with their parents -- versus 50 and 75 percent respectively of nonreligious youth.

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