Interreligious dialog most urgent and needed<\/p>\n
Aloys Budi Purnomo, Rector, St. Peter Major Seminary,
\nPematang Siantar, North Sumatra, aloybudipurnomo@plasa.com<\/p>\n
Our society is marked by the twofold reality of religious
\npluralism and social injustice, which provides ample
\nopportunities for all religions to enrich one another spiritually
\nand practically. In such a reality the need for interreligious
\ndialogue is not only necessary but it is an overriding necessity.<\/p>\n
Interreligious dialogue is one of the intricate and urgent
\nchallenges faced by religious believers now that we have crossed
\nthe threshold of the third millennium. Contemporary discussion
\nwith regard to interreligious dialogue has taken a more practical
\nturn. And, it is right to say that interreligious dialogue is
\nmore urgent and needed than ever. Such dialog is the duty of each
\nof us all, whatever our religion and faith.<\/p>\n
It is a fact that we live in the reality of religious
\npluralism. It is a characteristic of our world and society today.
\nWe have from the beginning lived in the context of other faiths
\nand religions. Like it or not, we cannot avoid living in a world
\nof many religious faiths and religions.<\/p>\n
Rightly, in the social context of religious pluralism, we find
\nourselves in relationships with others. The development of
\ncommunications, however, and broader encounters in the world of
\nwork, have created a new situation. Muslims, Christians,
\nBuddhists, Hindus, etc., are rubbing shoulders in everyday life.
\nReligious believers are therefore obliged to live their faith in
\na plural context. They cannot avoid the question: How can I
\nreconcile my personal faith with respect for the faiths of others
\n-- faiths which may often contradict mine? How can I keep hold of
\nthe two ends of the chain, fidelity to my own religious creed and
\nacceptance of the truth of the other? In this situation and with
\nthese questions, we have to engage in interreligious dialogue for
\nthe sake of the future of humanity.<\/p>\n
But, what is the meaning of interreligious dialogue in our
\nlife today? Is it only mutual tolerance or peaceful coexistence
\nbetween the followers of various religions? Is it something more
\nimportant and significant than merely mutual information or
\ndiscussion between believers in different faiths and religions?
\nSo what is the meaning of interreligious dialogue for us?<\/p>\n
In a very simple but essential way, we can describe
\ninterreligious dialogue as the interactions between people who
\nbelong to different religions (or ideologies that function as
\nreligions). It consists of two aspects, namely, a dimension of
\nmission and a dialogue in the context of believers in different
\nreligions living together in civil society. Here, the goal of
\ninterreligious dialogue is harmony, which affirms pluralism in
\nunity.<\/p>\n
However, interreligious dialogue is not the same as the effort
\nto get the interlocutor to be convinced of one's own faith and to
\npersuade him to change his religion. It does not aim at
\nconversion in the sense of a change of religious allegiance, but
\nconversion understood as a greater readiness to do God's will
\nshould be one of the aims and fruits of sincere interreligious
\ndialogue.<\/p>\n
Interreligious dialogue is a process of communication from
\nheart to heart between followers of numerous religions, not only
\nat the academic level among leaders, but at the grassroots level
\nin the religious sense. At the grassroots level and in our age
\nand the social context of religious pluralism, interreligious
\ndialogue is the praxis of dialogue based on personal religious
\nexperience and firm truth claims, on the recognition of the
\npossible truth in all religions grounded in the hypothesis of a
\ncommon ground and goal for all religions, and an openness to the
\npossibility of accepting insights into the divine truth that they
\npreviously either never realized or rejected.<\/p>\n
The followers of different religions and faiths are in need of
\ninterreligious dialogue today since our society is sometimes
\ninclined to religious fanaticism and fundamentalism, causing
\nflare ups of religious emotions. In our globalized and
\nmultireligious society of the 21st Century, we should realize
\nthat interreligious dialogue is a quickly growing phenomenon. It
\nis also becoming more and more important with the goal of
\npromoting cooperation among the believers and followers of
\nvarious religions so that in mutual respect and understanding,
\nsocial justice and peace, brotherhood and fraternal
\ncollaboration, we can build up our world and society.<\/p>\n
Sociologically, it is a fact that there are a vast number of
\nreligions in our world and society. We cannot ignore or deny this
\nfact. From the perspective of the theology of religions, this
\nsociological reality is in accordance with the will of God, who
\ndesires all men and women to be saved and to come to the
\nknowledge of the truth.<\/p>\n
Based on this fact, we should learn what treasures a bountiful
\nGod has distributed among the nations of the earth. Here, we can
\nmention that interreligious dialogue is a manifestation of a
\npositive attitude toward other religions. It consists of an
\ninvitation that every religion has to acknowledge, preserve, and
\npromote the spiritual and moral wealth found among these other
\nbelievers, as well as the values of their societies and cultures.<\/p>\n
In the pluralistic world in which we live today and whether we
\nlike it or not, we have to get deeply involved in building our
\ncommitment to interreligious dialogue.<\/p>\n
We know that religious pluralism is not something new. Also,
\nwe know well that each one of the world religions emerged from a
\nsituation of religious plurality and controversy. Therefore, we
\nshould be open to whatever truth and wisdom is discoverable in
\nevery tradition.<\/p>\n
Every follower of a religion has to strive to practice
\ninterreligious dialogue. The practice of interreligious dialogue
\nincorporates the assumption that religion is an area of universal
\nconcern that we can consider, contemplate and talk about.<\/p>\n
May all of us bear witness to compassion and loving kindness
\nin promoting the true goodness of humanity by committing
\nourselves to interreligious dialogue. It is time for us to work
\nfor the day when all peoples and nations may enjoy security,
\nharmony, justice and peace!<\/p>",
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