Here's Liz Atwood with Tween Tuesday:

Easter and Passover are approaching and I’ve been thinking about how our tweens view religion. Leonard Pitts Jr. argues in a column this week that religion is fading in America because of a backlash against religious fanatics and hypocrites from all faiths. A few months ago, researchers writing in the Journal of Happiness reported a link between spirituality and happiness in tweens, but not one between religious practices and happiness. You can read an MSNBC.com account of the report here.

Having resorted to pleadings and threats on more than one occasion to get my kids up in time for church, I understand how there might be a disparity between feeling spiritual and going to church. And yet I know many faiths make an extra effort to reach out to pre-teen children, incorporating rock music, drama and games to make the services more interesting.

What’s been your experience? Do your tweens accept your religious views or are they searching for their own way?

Photo: Children walk back to their pews after hearing a religious story at a church in Boston. (AP)