For billions of people around the world, religion is the very center of our lives and the core of our identity.  Our faith calls upon us to love God above all else.  It defines who and what we are, how we understand the meaning of our lives, and how we live each day.  It is the source of our strength, consolation, and hope amidst sorrow, travail, and death.  Faith traditions are the incubators and shapers of family and community life, creating and sustaining the spiritual ties that link and bind people together.  Religion transmits moral and social truths to the next generation.  Can anything be more vital?

Our faith is more than just important to our dignity as human beings; it is essential!