THE LEFT LANE
Faith for Dummies

Advertiser Staff and News Services

The "For Dummies" religion series is a case in point. Besides "Christianity for Dummies," there's "The Bible for Dummies," "Religion for Dummies" and even "Christian Prayer for Dummies."

But let's spread the interfaith "For Dummies" wealth: There's also "Buddhism for Dummies," "Judaism for Dummies" and "Islam for Dummies," too. (See titles at www.dummies.com.)

Keeping the knot tied

For 30 years, it's been a statistic: one divorce for every two marriages in America.

Who can help keep you from becoming part of a losing equation? Clergy, according to a new study that credits clergy for reducing divorce rates.

The study by the Institute for Research and Evaluation of Salt Lake City says clergy who cooperate across denominational lines can create a "Community Marriage Policy" that makes marriage preparation more rigorous and mentors couples in crisis.

Such policies can cut the divorce rate by 17.5 percent over seven years — nearly double the decline of comparable counties in each state, according to the study, scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal "Family Relations."

Money matters

If Cinderella had had her own money, she wouldn't have been sweeping floors, and she would have bought her own shoes. That's the theory behind a "financial literacy" program being adopted by all-girl schools on the East Coast.

The National Coalition of Girls' Schools is teaming up with the schools to offer workshops designed to make money matters part of the new math for young women. They're taught how to save, keep track of money, handle credit, live on a budget and get paid what they're worth.

For more information, visit www.ncgs.org.