The Editor's Page

Interreligious Dialogue
problems and possibilities

The interreligious movement is gaining momentum around the world. At its best it underscores the necessity and desirability of not only dialogue between religious believers but also their engagement with the institutional shapers of the world's future at practical levels. In particular, there is the need to coordinate religious leadership as a driving force for fostering peace, for encouraging mutual understanding and respect, as well as for working cooperatively for constructive goals.

The adherents of different faiths, as inhabitants on this earth, are bound by a common destiny. Each tradition now has to realize the planetary implications of interdependence in the natural world as well as in moral and spiritual realms. All humans share the same planet. To guarantee the continuation of the human race, to preserve earth's resources for posterity, and to enrich the quality of life for all human beings is the common responsibility of all religious traditions. To build a better world, cooperation among peoples of different religious traditions is necessary.

Now the world's religions have both the opportunity and the responsibility to cooperate with one another in the promotion of human community and well-being. There are, of course, differences between them and these will need to be respected and preserved. Also, areas of difference are not to be seen as areas of conflict, but as areas of cultural richness and dialogue - a dialogue based on joint study and mutual engagement. Religious communities should strive to better themselves as instruments of world peace and human welfare.

It is a tragedy, however, that large numbers of people continue to be strangers to one another's inner culture and religious life. Such ignorance promotes fear, distrust and hatred. Obstacles to fruitful interreligious dialogue arise from suspicion of things unfamiliar. Religious conflicts, bloody
riots, hate crimes, and widespread terrorism are rooted in them.

Terrorism violates the basic principles of all religions; it is an attack against our very humanity. The rage that fuels terrorism lashes out indiscriminately, engulfing innocent men, women, and children. Misconceptions and negative views of other religions not only lead to physical terrorism but also engender more subtle forms of abuse that do violence to the culture, the economic and social well-being of others. Only widespread education about the true nature of each of the world's religions can eradicate these forms of violence. Education is not just the transmission of knowledge and information; even more crucially, it is the education of attitudes and values, of justice and fairness. The world's religions have given their respective insights to humanity. Each has a great deal to contribute to humanity and a great deal to learn from others. The desire to know, to love, to be happy, and to avoid misery, and the desire to seek spiritual fulfillment are human concerns of all peoples. The different ways through which humans pursue Truth should be of absorbing interest to all. Our concern for Truth should make us receptive to the currents of Truth coming from other sources. Freedom to benefit from whatever is true, beautiful, and good, wherever it is found, should be everyone's right. The noble insights of the world's religions are needed for the improvement of the human situation. We see the need for a new approach to religion; it should be based on the recognition of one world, one human community and many households of faith. Spiritual values are universal. But different religions may emphasize different facets of truth, according to the genius and the needs of the respective peoples, times and requirements of society. One may have preference for a particular framework, within which one chooses to live and act. But all spiritual literature glorifies Truth as the supreme value, and the way to Truth is through love and non-violence.

By discovering a deeper spiritual context in our respective faiths, we should be able to contribute to mutual understanding and cooperation. By awakening the spiritual consciousness of humanity, we can work toward a moral order in human society.

Seshagiri Rao, Alan Race, Jim Kenney