I want to start off that I am not here to preach at you. I am here to simply tell you about religion and how it easily gets ignored with people’s lives and their struggles.

I understand that religion is not allowed in schools. A child can talk about their religion, but there isn’t any religious activity. I am a strong believer of God and only God. I am open to talk about him anytime. Many people are faced with the challenge of what religion, or relationship, they want to believe in or be in. I have already picked my relationship, but this isn’t about me, it’s about those who have all of these mixed emotions going on inside.

Being a teenager is hard. You have so many things being thrown at you, all at once, and your head is spinning. Because of drugs, alcohol, sex, sports, music, etc., teens get blinded from religion. It is their decision to make, but it depends on if they will choose the right decision. It is so hard not to go up to them and scream at them that they aren’t doing the right thing, that what they are doing will harm them, but you have to take it one step at a time.

I wish everyone would make the right decisions and pick the one religion that they all need. I can’t tell them to pick Christianity. I believe it’s the truth, but just because I believe it’s the truth doesn’t mean others will believe the same thing. I have to follow my heart, as others do, too. Some people will disagree and think I am completely wrong. I would like for teenagers to stop dealing with all the other junk in the world and focus on religion more.

Christine Peterson

Albert Lea High School

English class

Albert Lea