Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Religion

In a book called Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, it's fair to expect that religion is a pretty major them. And though Margaret is only eleven-going-on-twelve, she tackles some of life's biggest questions—namely those pertaining to religion. In many ways this book is about Margaret's quest to make sense of religion and come to some sort of peace with her relationship with God, whom she speaks with on a regular basis. He's her go-to guy, her confidante and friend, and though they hit a rough patch, ultimately they come back together just in time for Margaret to head off on her next adventure.

Questions About Religion

1. Why isn't Margaret's own relationship with God enough for her on the religion front? Is her quest for a religion about religion, or about friends, family, and community?
2. Why didn't Margaret feel the same pressure about choosing a religion when she was living in New York City?
3. Why are Margaret's parents so reluctant for her to find her own religion?
4. Which experience with religion has the biggest effect on Margaret? Why?

Chew on This

The older Margaret gets, the more comfortable she'll be without a religion and with her own relationship with God.

Out of all the different churches and temples that Margaret tries, her experience following Laura Danker into confession is the most significant—at no other point did Margaret make such a direct connection between religion and behavior.