America is a land of many faiths, and teenagers in America practice their religions in a variety of ways. Early in their study of U.S. history, American children learn that freedom of religion and separation of church and state are among the basic principles guiding their nation's government. It is up to each individual to decide what and how to worship. Many teenagers' decisions about religion are influenced by their families. Some attend schools that are run by religious groups, and others join after-school and weekend programs sponsored by their churches, synagogues, or mosques. Still others choose not to practice any particular religion at all. Many religions have adopted the hallmarks of contemporary youth culture to reach out to young people. Thus it is not uncommon to see a Christian rock group or Muslim rappers or youth-oriented religious services at any number of congregations.

I practice my faith through my everyday actions. I try to lead others by my example and I always make choices that would be acceptable to my strong values. Attending a Catholic school has been a major influence on the way I practice my faith and has truly helped me through all the struggles of school. My faith has given me a strong foundation to base my life on and has been an important influence throughout my entire life.

Maggie Boyle, 16, grade 11, Saint Mary's Ryken, Leonardtown, Maryland [http://www.smrhs.org]

Spiritually, people need a sense of where they came from, how they got here, and where they are going. Americans are lucky enough to have the freedom to choose which path of religion to follow. I have grown up in a strong and supportive Christian family, and the values that my parents instilled in me as a child haven't changed much as I'm growing up. But, as teenagers, we are most influenced by our friends. My best friend is just as strong in her faith as I am, and we use this to hold each other accountable. Once people know your values they won't pressure you as much to do things you would rather not do.

Ashley Voigtlander, 18, grade 12, Centennial High School, Lino Lakes, Minnesota [http://www.centennial.k12.mn.us/chs]

My religion has a fairly big influence on who I am, how I act, and how I write. Being a Jew has taught me to question, and to come up with meanings of my own from the Torah [Old Testament], not just take what most people assume it means as set in stone. You can take passages in the Torah, and connect them to everyday life, and understand them better for it.

Being a Jew does not mean going to temple every Friday night and Saturday morning, or that you have to be a bat-mitzvah or bar-mitzvah (a Jewish girl or boy who at about age 13 takes on adult religious responsibilities), or that you have to always wear a skullcap and fringes (a close-fitting cap and an undergarment with knotted fringes worn by men who are Orthodox Jews). It does not mean that you must always believe one thing, or that you cannot believe one thing because of another.

Being a Jew is how you act and what you believe in, like showing respect for diversity, and being open to learning new things, and helping to teach others. We are taught that the most important things for people to do are to show respect for one another, do acts of kindness and to make peace. In our prayer book, it is taught that "What is hateful to you, do not do to any person. That is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary." Kids are influenced a lot by their religions because that is what they are taught from the beginning of their lives, and no matter how much other things change, they know that it will stay constant.

Even in America, there are plenty of stereotypes about other religions, and my friends and I talk about each other's religions. We teach each other, and we learn that the stereotypes are rarely true.

Cindy Holden, 14, grade 9, West Springfield High School, Springfield, Virginia [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs]

My family is from India, and we are Hindus. I was born in England. We came to the United States when I was eight years old, and we are American citizens now. Every Sunday I go to meetings of a group called Swadhyay [which means self-study in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India]. We discuss not only cultural issues, but ethical ones as well. It helps me to understand myself better, and keeps me in touch with my cultural heritage.

Aakash Chudasam, 14, grade 11, Oakton High School, Herndon, Virginia [http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/OaktonHS]

I was born in the United States, but my parents are from Burma. We are Buddhists. Every other Sunday I go to a Buddhist temple in Maryland and take a class in the Burmese language. I also go to religious services at the temple, and take part in charitable works, such as food donations to the poor. When we moved from one house to another, monks from the temple came over to bless our new house. I once spent a weekend at the temple, staying with the monks, and living the monastic life for the weekend. This was a very valuable experience for me, and I hope to do this again in the future.

Nay Soe Lwin, 13, grade 9, Oakton High School, Herndon, Virginia [http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/OaktonHS]

My religion has shaped my life in many ways. The most important lesson that my religion, Roman Catholicism, has taught me is that I have to live my life around the church. By attending Mass on a regular basis, it has taught me how to prioritize things in my life. To me the church comes first, then family and friends, and then everything else.

It is easy in today's world to get sidetracked and caught up in materialism, and the things and lifestyles that are supposed to make you "happy." My religion has taught me the true meaning of happiness, and what is truly important in life.

Alisha Weisser, 17, grade 11, St. Mary's Ryken High School, Leonardtown, Maryland [http://www.smrhs.org]

I was born in the United States, and my family is from India. We are Muslim. I belong to a youth group called "Muslims in Action" or "MIA." The members of our MIA group come from many different countries, and many, like myself, were born in the United States. We have a lot of different activities, including fund raisers for such things as tsunami relief and humanitarian aid for people in Iraq and Afghanistan. We raise money in a lot of different ways, including bake sales and car washes. I'm proud to be a Muslim, and my religion is an important part of my life. The majority of the students at my school are not Muslim, but that has never presented any problem for me. I have lots of friends from many different religious backgrounds.

Ambreen Ali, 16, grade 12, Westridge School for Girls, South Pasadena, California

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