Dispelling conventional wisdom

Turns out that intellectual engagement isn't turning kids away from religion. Looks like those liberal militant-atheist college professors aren't doing there job:

Percent of Young Adults Reporting Religious Declines, by Level of Education

Educational Attainment	Decline in Attending Services	Decline in Importance of Religion	Disaffiliation From Religion
Didn’t attend college	76.2%	23.7%	20.3%
Attended, but earned no degree	71.5%	16.3%	14.6%
Earned associate degree	60.3%	15.1%	14.4%
Earned at least a bachelor’s degree	59.2%	15.0%	15.0%

Behavioral factors, he said, are a better way than college status to predict whether young adults will become less religious. Those who don’t have sex before marriage are also those who don’t experience as much of a drop in religious connection. Those who have smoked pot experience more of a drop. Those who increase alcohol consumption during their young adulthood experience more of a drop in religious connection.

Those who blame college for declining religious activity by students don’t understand that it is these factors, among others, that are the influence, Regnerus said. “This is about this period of the life course where freedom and choice become paramount,” he said. “What diminishes religiosity is freedom and choice, not intellectual engagement.”

You could even make the argument that going college increases your chance of staying in religion. It would be most likely be wrong, but you could make it.