Religious Groups Join Together to Launch Faith Counts

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, major faith groups in the United States announced the launch of Faith Counts (www.FaithCounts.net), a multi-faith organization aimed at promoting the value of faith. The centerpiece of Faith Counts is a social media campaign that tells powerful stories about how faith inspires, empowers, motivates and comforts billions of people. Faith Counts will emphasize the significant contributions of faith to individuals and to society. The initiative came about as the leadership of several major religious groups recognized a need, and an opportunity to harness their collective influence to simply to remind people that faith plays a positive role in society. 

Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop William Lori, states, "Religious faith is an integral part of our society and needs to be lifted up and celebrated. Faith prompts acts of kindness every day, in every community of our nation. It also connects us to God and to each other as members of the human family. We are so pleased to be a part of Faith Counts, which can make a real difference in the lives of so many."

Kerry Troup, spokeswoman for Faith Counts, adds, "We're finding that, in spite of a growing sense that faith is not something to talk about, and a culture that marginalizes faith, people are actually hungry for our message about faith. Our hope is that people who see our work, regardless of what religion they are, will have a better appreciation for the value of faith, feel inspired to share these stories and ultimately feel good about expressing how faith makes them who they are."

Faith Counts will feature an ongoing series of themed hashtag campaigns, each highlighting a beneficial attribute of faith. The first campaign, #FaithCounts, encourages users to tell why faith counts to them. Each campaign features content produced by Faith Counts and its partners, and each piece tells a story of how faith empowers individuals and benefits society. One video, for example, features a homeless panhandler with a charitable instinct. Another illustrates how faith can create a series of guideposts to navigate life's challenging experiences. Future campaigns will include content featuring people whose lives have been shaped by their faith, including Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin, kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, and others.

Elder Daniel R. Jackson, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, states, "Millions of Americans of every religion are motivated by their faith to go and serve the most vulnerable among us. Their gracious acts can be seen in soup kitchens, hospitals, schools, homeless shelters and many other humanitarian causes. Faith Counts will serve as a gentle reminder about these and other positive and meaningful attributes of faith in society."

Jasjit Singh, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), notes "Faith Counts has a refreshingly simple message: faith is a good thing. We are drawn to the Faith Counts campaign because it reflects our belief in the tremendous societal value of all faiths, and are excited about Faith Counts' ability to reach, engage, and unite interfaith communities."

All faith communities are welcome and encouraged to join. Current Faith Counts partners include:

• Hillel International
• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
• The Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Franciscan University of Steubenville
• 1^st Amendment Partnership

About Faith Counts

Faith Counts is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization comprised of many religious communities who represent over 100 million Americans.  The mission of Faith Counts is simple:  to promote the value of faith. The centerpiece of Faith Counts is a social media campaign that tells powerful stories about how faith counts—how it inspires, empowers, motivates and comforts billions of people. 

• Facebook: Facebook.com/MyFaithCounts  
• Website: FaithCounts.net  
• Twitter: @MyFaithCounts

Media Contact:
Kerry Troup
202-715-3489 (o)
202-679-2702 (m)
[email protected]

SOURCE Faith Counts