Council on Faith  

Council on Faith

The Council on Faith developed strategic, community-led initiatives aimed at improving people’s overall access to sexual health, well being and happiness—focusing on the intersections of race, gender, faith, age and ability. Sexual literacy Councils advise on professional training, curriculum, advocacy, policy and resource needs of their specific communities.

In 2009, the Council on Faith launched the first annual Faith and Sexual Literacy Day, aimed at helping religious leaders talk about spirituality and sexuality with their congregations, complete with a draft document on why—and how—to incorporate faith-based and community values into sexual well being.

Why Faith?

Although the U.S. is one of the most religiously heterogeneous countries in the world, it is far from where it needs to be in relationship to spiritual literacy (the basic knowledge of different religious and spiritual perspectives, beliefs and traditions). Most average Americans know little about their own religion and even less about the religions of their neighbors. Religious and spiritual fear, shame and silence about sexuality continue to plague the sexual and spiritual health of this nation. So too does the majority of current sex education which does not even begin to address spirituality. The field of sexuality studies and sexuality educators and researchers themselves need to begin to become spiritually literate and include the concept of faith within their work. To do anything less is to avoid people as whole (especially in the U.S. which is such a religious country)—and that can be and has been literally lethal. Americans need to have greater religious literacy and sexual literacy in order to begin healing themselves and their communities. The Council on Faith wants to ignite those national sexuality and spirituality conversations with respect, compassion and dignity. Science and belief are not mutually exclusive.