Religious Views

Question:

Hi Mrs. Naylor. I loved your books. I just finished intensely alice. It was funny when she was in the plane and embarrassed that man so he would leave her alone. 
It was sad when ___ passed away. I almost cried. But I did cry when patrick went up and started talking. Also when alice wondered how ___ felt when everything was happening. If he knew he would die. She hoped the music was up real loud. 
 
Throughout the series, you mentioned elizabeth being catholic. I am catholic just like her. I think it’s great you mentioned this particular religion. Most people think of catholics as super religious freaks and it hurts when people say that to me. You didn’t make elizabeth a religious freak at all. Thank you. Maybe people will understand the catholic religion and won’t put a label on those who are catholic. 
 
You had lots of religious veiws in your books. Not just catholic. You write how a lot of the characters feel about God. I think that’s so great. 
 
What made you want to put different religious veiws in your books? 
 

Phyllis replied:

I think that whether young people talk about it or not, many have a lot of religious or spiritual questions.  Most people, perhaps, remain in whatever religion they were brought up in, and never get too familiar with those who have different beliefs.  Often they have weird ideas about another religion.  But I think that Baptists and Unitarians and Jews and Mormons and Muslims would tell you that people have strange ideas about their religions as well.  And because I’m trying to present a “whole” girl in the Alice series–not necessarily a typical girl or an all-American girl, but a real character–it seems to me that it would be a very real part of her life.  I’m glad you like the books.