How to Peak Your Teen’s Interest in Religion

For many families, faith is something that is passed down through the generations. It teaches them how to lead a lifestyle that they enjoy and provides them with a moral foundation that they will adhere to moving forward.

That being said, some parents may feel as though their teens may not be as interested in their faith as they are. While you should respect whichever direction your child takes, you can still teach them what your faith is about and encourage them to participate with you. Let’s dive into a few tips on how to pique your teen’s interest in religion.

Spur their interest in religion by leveraging something else they love.

Many adolescents are not as interested in what their parents are as parents expect them to be. As such, you may need to switch up your approach and pique their interest by using something they enjoy. For example, avid gamers may have a greater interest in religion if you’re able to find titles that offer a game experience steeped in religious themes and undertones. Whether this means getting them into some retro games or more modern offerings, it’s much easier to get your teen interested in something if they discover it while doing what they love.

That being said, it can be hard to thoroughly enjoy an immersive gaming experience without the right equipment. Among the most important items to have is a high-quality monitor. The best budget gaming monitor will offer a high refresh rate, fast response time, a great resolution (some resolutions for gaming monitors include 4k, 1080p FHD, and 1440p), accurate color space, and the desired form factor and screen size that your child wants in their monitor.

Some options that you will likely encounter include the Acer Predator X34, the LG Ultragear 38GN950, and the Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75TQNXZA. Just remember, they must have a high-quality gaming computer as well. Otherwise, the brightness, image quality, refresh rate, and response time won’t matter because their system can’t support the games they’re playing!

Gift them items they may be interested in learning more about.

When you’re trying to teach teens about scripture, whether you’re discussing the New Testament or the Old Testament, chances are that they may not be as responsive as you would like. Rather than trying to force their interest, consider gifting them their own Bible so that they can explore the writings freely. You can easily find the Catholic Bible online and variations that offer the translation that you prefer.

Whether this means getting the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) (as well as versions like the New American Bible or American Standard Version), the King James Version, or even specific types of Bibles like a study Bible, there are plenty of options out there to help you pique your child’s interest in the word of God. Once they start exploring books like Genesis, Corinthians, Exodus, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, they just may be hooked on the Holy Bible without any push on your behalf.

Have an open conversation with them about religion and its benefits.

Sometimes, it’s not about finding the best gaming monitor with great visuals or gifting your child a Catholic edition Bible. Sometimes, piquing their interest in religion is a matter of having an open and honest conversation.

Whether they have questions about what religious academics have to say or even questions on topics like the Apocrypha, setting aside some time to speak with them about the subject can help you connect them with the right resources. Of course, it can also be helpful to talk about the advantages of religion and some of the disadvantages that some may avoid. Not every teen may have inherent connectivity with religion, but allowing them to provide their input and concerns can open up the potential for them to explore further.

Pushing teens rarely offers the type of outcome that we anticipate. However, when it comes to sensitive topics like religion, you don’t have to. If you wish to pique your teen’s interest in religion without pressuring them, use the tips above to bring the topic to them naturally and move forward from there.