Crazy statisticians

I wondered at the news item which read "The devout tend to have more children (Source: IANS) dated Jan 12, 2011". My wonderment is not at the finding which was stated as "Some religious sects had fertility rates 3 or 4 times the general population, Rowthorn noted, reports the jounal proceedings of the Royal Society B.", rather at the crazy statistical results which occur in the next para. It reads, "The World Values Survey covering 82 nations from 1981 to 2004, found that adults attending religious services more than once a week had 2.5 children on an average; while those who went once a month had 2 and those who never attended had 1.67. Note the crazy things about this statement.

1. Did you ever imagine your children in fractions. Imagine you bump into a guy in a networking session, during your conference on whatever subject, and he asks you, how many children you have and you uttered with a slight thought lent to formulating the response, "ummm... 1.78... coz i think my wife is 7 months pregnant".

2. Somebody just had the dare to ask these church going, temple going and mosque going people how many children you have (outside your wife's womb and how many inside. Oh, my god! in the first point I made here I forgot that there can be twins 7 months old in a woman's womb or there may be two women pregnant simlutaneously becuase of the same man! And this has further complication that both women may have twins and more and additonally they may not be due for delivery in next 2 months exact.... huff what a digression.) Dear statisticians lend me you ears!! you have a daunting data awaiting your statistical onslaught.

3. Classifications of people going to religious institutions based on their frequency of attending religious activities. What a deep study! Send them to North Arctic circle to find out and suggest ways to sort out inter-national boundary disputes of the continental shelf which have huge gas reserves beneath.
I am sick of doing these analyses... and you may be equally sick by now... signing off... :)