What Do You Believe?

"Yeah there's a God, but there is also hell." "I don't believe in God because I haven't had proof there is one, but I believe in some force … that created everything." "God is not a he or she entity, but God is a spirit." "I think God is a mixture of all religions." Very rarely do we hear about the religious convictions of teens--who are often depicted as being solely interested in sex, drugs, video games, movies and music--yet surveys show that most American teens (who live in one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with at least 1600 different religions and sects) believe in some form of higher power. Filmmaker Sarah Feinbloom's What Do You Believe?, featuring in-depth portraits of six teens (including Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, and pagan students), as well as another 20 or so who provide commentary, offers a candid exploration of the role of religion in the lives of contemporary teens, with students sometimes criticizing various religious institutions as being out of touch. The questions these kids struggle with are universal: How did I get here? Why am I here? What does religion mean to me personally? Sure to spark an active discussion in the classroom about religious pluralism among American teens today, this insightful documentary is highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (J. Asala)