the freedoms endowed by our creator, among them freedom of religion. yes, this freedom safeguards religion allowing us to flourish as one of the most religious countries on earth. but it works the other way, too. because religion strengthens america. brave men and women of faith have challenged our conscience and brought us closer to our founding ideals from the abolition of slavery to civil rights, workers' rights. so many of you carry on this good work today, for the child who deserves a school worthy of his dreams, for the parents working overtime to pull themselves out of poverty, for the immigrants who want to step out of the shadows and become a full member of our american family, and for the young girl who prays for rescue from the modern slavery of human trafficking, an outrage that we