The video "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus", posted yesterday on YouTube had about one million views after 24 hours and thousands of Facebook shares. The poem, spoken by an older teen, pokes at the hypocrisy of religion while maintaining that Jesus had no use for religion during his time on earth and would not feel at home in organized religion today.
The message brings up some other typical criticisms of religion (e.g., why are there ornate church buildings when the money can be used for the poor?).
Check out the video yourself.
If possible, show it to your teens, listen to their reactions, and have them develop a response. A Scripture passage to begin with might be Matthew 16:18-19. You might also want to check out these "Catholic FAQs" from the text Catholic Essentials. All the questions and answers were approved by the USCCB Subcommittee on Catechesis and found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Good luck!
