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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
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Jackie Bailey

My teenager is exploring her spirituality. I support her leap of faith, even as a non-religious parent

A young woman reads a book while holding a crucifix on a chain
‘I worry that my daughter’s faith explorations will change her irrevocably, in ways that I will not be able to relate to,’ Jackie Bailey writes of the role of religion in her child’s life. Composite: Nenov/Getty Images

My teenager has decided to believe in God. She bought herself a silver cross pendant and has begun wearing it every day.

When I was a teenager, I also wore a cross around my neck, and I also believed in God. I had been raised as a churchgoing, tithe-paying Catholic but, as I hit puberty, my faith became more than cultural. It became deeply personal, with the full spectrum of emotions which characterise first love.

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