Interfaith coalition Faith Counts is hardly obscure. With over half a million likes on Facebook (and counting!) it’s certainly got a lot of momentum — which is just one of many reasons we’re so excited that they recently featured a Latter-day Saint in their “Faces of Faith” series.
If this is your first time hearing of Faith Counts, let me bring you up to speed. The coalition’s website states its purpose succinctly and beautifully:
“Faith Counts, LLC — a nonprofit, non-denominational organization comprised of faith communities representing nearly 100 million Americans. We’ve come together to share a simple message that “faith counts.”
Each day, faith inspires people to reach out and help others. It connects them to a diverse and vibrant community. It empowers them to rise above the sometimes gritty reality of everyday life.
There is a growing sense that faith should somehow be kept private. Many are embarrassed to share how their faith makes them who they are. We want to change that.
So dive in and explore! No matter what your background is, we hope you will see how faith counts. Be inspired, connected and empowered. And once you’ve done that, share something that will inspire and empower others.”
In a world that’s increasingly “tolerant,” (or so it claims) religion is becoming less and less tolerated, and people are shamed for their religious beliefs — especially if those beliefs include traditional views on topics like the family. Thankfully, there are organizations like Faith Counts that try to combat this intolerance by encouraging people to be proud of their faith.
In their series “Faces of Faith,” Faith Counts highlights faithful people of all backgrounds (including Islam, Catholicism, and Hinduism, to name a few), giving them space to explain why their faith matters and how it has blessed their lives — and this is exactly what they did with Kolby Lacy, a member of the Church.
On their website, Faith Counts includes a video of Lacy, various pictures of him, and a 5-minute podcast episode where he expounds on his faith. In it, Lacy commented:
“Honestly, when it comes to my faith, it’s taught me a lot about myself and about other people. It’s taught me that the value of a person is so much more than people realize. And that knowledge that I have helps me every day. And so I am very, very happy to call myself a Mormon.”
On the Faith Counts podcast, Lacy explains why his faith is so meaningful to him and how it makes his life better. By allowing Lacy (in addition to others of various backgrounds) to explain his beliefs and how they’ve impacted his life in such a positive way, the coalition engenders greater understanding among people of all faiths.
All faith has value. Truly, faith counts.
