How to Find Information for Teens About World Religions

Internet

• One of the fastest and easiest ways to get information on many topics, including worlds religions, is online. If your teen knows what specific religion he wants to know about, he can look for info on just that religion, or if he wants to know about religion in a region of the world, he can do a search such as "religions in the Middle East," or "religion in western Europe." You can also direct him toward websites such as Patheos.com, which catalog information about many different religions in one place. Remind your teen that not all information available on the Internet is correct, so it's a good idea to double-check any facts found online with a more traditional source like those listed below. Whenever possible, it's also a good idea to rely on websites with the suffixes .org, .gov and .edu, for reliability.

Library

• If your teen doesn't find all the info she wants on the Internet, she can also research the old-fashioned way and hit the library to dig about information about world religions. Bring your teen to the library and ask the librarian where the religion section is located. Or use the regular card catalog or computerized card catalog to search for books related to religion. Some libraries no longer have a traditional card catalog system, but rather refer inquiries to a reference specialist or librarian for assistance.

Talk to Family and Friends

• Maybe you have a diverse group surrounding you that could be a resource for teaching your teen about different religions. If you know that you have a family member, friend, neighbor or local public figure that practices the religion in which your child is interested, approach that person and respectfully request to speak about the religion, suggests the Chicago Public Library. If the person is open to discussing this personal matter, ask if it would be OK if your teen talked about religion with him.

Visit Different Houses of Worship

• Depending on the area where you live, you may be able to take advantage of visiting different houses of worship to explore religions with your teen in person. This may not be possible if you live in a small town or an area in which most of the residents share similar religions, but in some larger towns or cities, there may be different houses of worship for many religions in close proximity to one another. If possible, this is a great way to learn about different world religions and see the customs firsthand.