Interreligious dialog most urgent and needed

Aloys Budi Purnomo, Rector, St. Peter Major Seminary, Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra, aloybudipurnomo@plasa.com

Our society is marked by the twofold reality of religious pluralism and social injustice, which provides ample opportunities for all religions to enrich one another spiritually and practically. In such a reality the need for interreligious dialogue is not only necessary but it is an overriding necessity.

Interreligious dialogue is one of the intricate and urgent challenges faced by religious believers now that we have crossed the threshold of the third millennium. Contemporary discussion with regard to interreligious dialogue has taken a more practical turn. And, it is right to say that interreligious dialogue is more urgent and needed than ever. Such dialog is the duty of each of us all, whatever our religion and faith.

It is a fact that we live in the reality of religious pluralism. It is a characteristic of our world and society today. We have from the beginning lived in the context of other faiths and religions. Like it or not, we cannot avoid living in a world of many religious faiths and religions.

Rightly, in the social context of religious pluralism, we find ourselves in relationships with others. The development of communications, however, and broader encounters in the world of work, have created a new situation. Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., are rubbing shoulders in everyday life. Religious believers are therefore obliged to live their faith in a plural context. They cannot avoid the question: How can I reconcile my personal faith with respect for the faiths of others -- faiths which may often contradict mine? How can I keep hold of the two ends of the chain, fidelity to my own religious creed and acceptance of the truth of the other? In this situation and with these questions, we have to engage in interreligious dialogue for the sake of the future of humanity.

But, what is the meaning of interreligious dialogue in our life today? Is it only mutual tolerance or peaceful coexistence between the followers of various religions? Is it something more important and significant than merely mutual information or discussion between believers in different faiths and religions? So what is the meaning of interreligious dialogue for us?

In a very simple but essential way, we can describe interreligious dialogue as the interactions between people who belong to different religions (or ideologies that function as religions). It consists of two aspects, namely, a dimension of mission and a dialogue in the context of believers in different religions living together in civil society. Here, the goal of interreligious dialogue is harmony, which affirms pluralism in unity.

However, interreligious dialogue is not the same as the effort to get the interlocutor to be convinced of one's own faith and to persuade him to change his religion. It does not aim at conversion in the sense of a change of religious allegiance, but conversion understood as a greater readiness to do God's will should be one of the aims and fruits of sincere interreligious dialogue.

Interreligious dialogue is a process of communication from heart to heart between followers of numerous religions, not only at the academic level among leaders, but at the grassroots level in the religious sense. At the grassroots level and in our age and the social context of religious pluralism, interreligious dialogue is the praxis of dialogue based on personal religious experience and firm truth claims, on the recognition of the possible truth in all religions grounded in the hypothesis of a common ground and goal for all religions, and an openness to the possibility of accepting insights into the divine truth that they previously either never realized or rejected.

The followers of different religions and faiths are in need of interreligious dialogue today since our society is sometimes inclined to religious fanaticism and fundamentalism, causing flare ups of religious emotions. In our globalized and multireligious society of the 21st Century, we should realize that interreligious dialogue is a quickly growing phenomenon. It is also becoming more and more important with the goal of promoting cooperation among the believers and followers of various religions so that in mutual respect and understanding, social justice and peace, brotherhood and fraternal collaboration, we can build up our world and society.

Sociologically, it is a fact that there are a vast number of religions in our world and society. We cannot ignore or deny this fact. From the perspective of the theology of religions, this sociological reality is in accordance with the will of God, who desires all men and women to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Based on this fact, we should learn what treasures a bountiful God has distributed among the nations of the earth. Here, we can mention that interreligious dialogue is a manifestation of a positive attitude toward other religions. It consists of an invitation that every religion has to acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral wealth found among these other believers, as well as the values of their societies and cultures.

In the pluralistic world in which we live today and whether we like it or not, we have to get deeply involved in building our commitment to interreligious dialogue.

We know that religious pluralism is not something new. Also, we know well that each one of the world religions emerged from a situation of religious plurality and controversy. Therefore, we should be open to whatever truth and wisdom is discoverable in every tradition.

Every follower of a religion has to strive to practice interreligious dialogue. The practice of interreligious dialogue incorporates the assumption that religion is an area of universal concern that we can consider, contemplate and talk about.

May all of us bear witness to compassion and loving kindness in promoting the true goodness of humanity by committing ourselves to interreligious dialogue. It is time for us to work for the day when all peoples and nations may enjoy security, harmony, justice and peace!