Interesting Correlation

It's highest in the South, right? That's because cultural Christianity is so strong there.

Cultural Chrisitanity is not authentic Christianity.

 

What is interesting is that you present this as a corelation as though two maps give us enough information to draw a conclusion.
There is more information needed before drawing a judgement:

However, I have several opinions:

First, teen births don't always mean 'out-of-wedlock' though now many and perhaps most are.

Second, some areas on the birth map is also heavily Catholic. All area of heavy teen births are also populated heavily with hisspanic or Mexican immigrants. They bring with them their culture which includes their regarding a teenage girl to be of age to marry. Early motherhood is not 'looked down' upon. .......Like we are likely to judge.

Thirdly, the presence of teen births is not being corelated with the numbers of teenage abortions. This is the most likely significant fact which is lacking in the information which you give. The birth rate could also relate positively to those support systems which are available to teens who are going through a pregancy in those areas: These support systems are not entirely entitlement or government in origin or presence. In this area there are several, church supported but non denominational pregnancy support centers. Most of this area of heavy teen births is a core of pro-life and anti-abortion actions.

Now, what is it you're trying to say about Baptist?

 

I was a teen mother, twice, and married both times(same man), still married (same man) 28 yr later. Teen mother does not always mean unwed mother, just because most are does not mean all are, yet they fit the stastics for teen mother, the stastics don't tell you a lot of them are maried. Now it's true I've seen a lot of unwed teen mothers, but I've also seen (or heard of) a lot of married teen mothers also. Those stastics don't tell you that.

 

Interesting. Care to elaborate on that?

 

Which are you referring to?

The teen birth map?
Or the denominational map?

I still don't see the correlation nor understand what it has to do with Baptist (which you mentioned in your OP).

 

Excellent.

I'd like to see a divorce chart from the areas.

 

What the birth rate doesn't tell us are actual pregnancy rates. Just speculating, but it could be that the teen pregnancy rate is about the same everywhere, but the birth rate is higher in more conservative areas because they do not abort their babies as much as they do in less conservative areas.

 

Cultural Christianity is like cultural Christianity in Greece or Italy or Spain - a lot of people baptized as infants and maybe confirmed then consider themselves Catholic or Orthodox or whatever, but are not really Christians in most cases.

In the South, since churches are so common there and there seem to be more professing Chrisitans (I think polls bear that out), I think you have a similar thing. People go to church, are baptized, etc. but are not necessarily believers. But they may say they are Christian or even go to church, and not be saved.

This could happen anywhere but it seems that there is more of a culture of Christianity in the South than elsewhere in the U.S.

 

Agreed. It has been known as the "Bible Belt" for a reason.....

 

Even this map refers to abortions per 1000 women...... over a span of ages, not specific to teens:
Because it doesn't break down demographics of age, it is conceivable that younger women are more apt to choose motherhood when they live in a supportive family or community. Younger women are more sensitive to the pressure of peers and community pressures whether or not to carry to term: Older women are more apt to choose independant of peer pressure or community approval and may opt for abortion.

Incidentally, the abortion chart doesn't relate to the teen birth rate nor the denominational breakdown.

While these charts are interesting in the information which they do give, it is important to recognize the information which they lack which could tie them together. As it is there is no corelation.... beyond theoretical imagination which would require collecting and colating more data to make a serious hypothesis requiring further proving.

 

Yes, these kinds of maps/graphs are interesting.
Thanks!

 

That map is pretty inconclusive - it's all over the place. So I am not sure why you dismissed my thoughts with a resounding, "No." And as WC pointed out, these rates include women who are not teens. Also, abortion statistics in general are notoriously incomplete.

Since you wrote the OP, why don't you tell us why you think teen birth rates are higher in conservative, Baptist areas? Lemme guess - it's because backwards, idiot Baptists discourage the use of contraception, while the more enlightened areas of the country encourage their teens to go about their sinfulness in a safe environment. Or is it because Baptists have such repressive and unenlightened views on sex, that their children rebel at higher rates than the enlightened ones? I'm sure the causes have something to do with the vapidity of the conservative mores of Bible-thumping Baptists and the like, right?

 

I find your view of southerners pretty offensive. Can you back them with facts ? I mean, you come off as pretty biased.