Every religion has a creed of one form or another, an authoritative formulation of its beliefs. Historically, creeds have developed whenever religions migrate from their homelands. Until then, the beliefs are fully contained in the culture and taught to children as a natural part of growing up. But when followers settle in other countries where alien faiths predominate, the importance of a simple statement of faith arises. A creed is meant to summarize the specific teachings or articles of faith, to imbed and thus protect and transmit the beliefs.
Creeds give strength to individuals seeking to understand life and religion.
Creeds also allow members of one faith to express, in elementary and consistent terms, their traditions to members of another. Now, in this technological age in which village integrity is being replaced by worldwide mobility, the importance of a creed becomes apparent if religious identity is to be preserved. We need two kinds of strength that which is found in diversity and individual freedom to inquire and that which derives from a union of minds in upholding the universal principles of our faith. It was in 1979, when we were developing the first edition of Dancing with Siva, Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism, that we formulated our summation of the essential creed of Saivite Hinduism. These are given below.