Rick Fee with Buddhist monks at the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok last July.
There is a challenge before us and our denomination's newly renamed Committee on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations. How can we understand, live with and appreciate people of other faiths while maintaining our Christian convictions? Is religion being manipulated to make this a more violent world, and does this cause strife between our neighbours and us? These questions lie at the core of interfaith dialogue.
My Toronto home is situated in what is called the most cosmopolitan square kilometre in the world. I come into contact with people of other faiths on a daily basis. My closest neighbours are Jewish, the dry cleaner is Muslim, and the grocer is a Hindu. I do not believe I am an exception. One of my mother's many helpful neighbours in Killam, Alberta (pop.1000), is a Muslim from Iran. I believe our church has spoken and equipped us, and will continue to equip us, to more fully enter into dialogue with our neighbours so that we can speak as disciples of Christ and convey in meaningful ways what is the unique "significance of the cross".
Living Faith and Foi Vivante were adopted as subordinate standards by our church in 1998. Section 9.2 speaks of Our Mission and Other Faiths in these words, "Some whom we encounter belong to other religions and already have a faith. Their lives often give evidence of devotion and reverence for life. We recognize that truth and goodness in them are the work of God's spirit, the author of all truth. We should not address others in a spirit of arrogance implying that we are better than they. But rather, in the spirit of humility, as beggars telling others where food is to be found, we point to life in Christ." The next section states, "We witness to God in Christ as the Way, the Truth, the Life, and invite others to accept from him the forgiveness of God. We are compelled to share this good news." This is where our church stands in regards to interfaith dialogue.
The 2003 General Assembly accepted a report entitled, Reconciliation and Hope in a Multi-Faith World, and adopted this recommendation: "That congregations be encouraged to study this report and initiate or continue activities to engage in dialogue with Muslims in their communities." In 2004, the Committee on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations was entrusted with the responsibility to, "promote and encourage peace, respect and understanding between ourselves and those of other faiths, even on issues of significant disagreement."
As members of the Presbyterian Church it is now up to us to put wheels under this language and engage our neighbours in dialogue. This will be done in imaginative and varied ways.
Our denomination is already actively involved in interfaith dialogue through discussions with aboriginal peoples, and through the work of chaplains in the armed forces, in universities, hospital and prisons. These are supported by presbyteries and the national church where interaction takes place. Many of our overseas partner churches seek our counsel as they interact within cultures where they are often a minority.
Ministers have long accepted as routine the reality of inter-denominational marriage. Now, interfaith marriages are becoming more commonplace. When horrific disasters, such as the Swissair crash off Nova Scotia occur, clergy of all faiths have to cope with the dynamics of the aftermath. We live in a community called earth. I am not speaking of negotiating the fundamentals of the Christian faith. I am, however, speaking of the removal of prejudice, the development of mutual respect and instilling in the next generation a deep tolerance of our cultural and religious diversity here in Canada. I believe our church and its ministers are equipping us to proclaim the gospel in truth and in action, in season and out of season.
Interfaith dialogue has been viewed as an esoteric academic exercise. World events of the last few years have catapulted it onto center stage. With political and religious statements being scrutinized for their terrorist, defamatory or politically insensitive nuances, better interfaith relations have become a necessity. There are many areas where people of faith can and should work together. Countering violence, local and international, is certainly foremost. People of faith can find enough common ground to support cooperative actions to make a real difference in their communities.
Gil Bailie writes in Violence Unveiled: Humanity at the Crossroads, "As the cultural and historical convolutions continue, Christians will have abundant reasons for entering into serious dialogue with the religions of the world. While the historical record of institutional Christianity is hardly the sordid affair its modern detractors seem to think, it is reason enough to enter the dialogue with others in a spirit of humility. In the dialogue itself, there is much that Christianity stands to learn from others; but there is one thing that it will have both to learn better itself and to convey more coherently to the world, and that is the staggering historical and anthropological 'significance of the Cross.'"
Religion has often been misused or manipulated by both perpetrators and victims alike when, in truth, the root causes lie elsewhere. Now is the time for an honest and realistic – a "street-smart" – type of interfaith dialogue wherein true healing can come about. The violence of this age must be addressed, and all people of faith can contribute to the discussion. On this matter, we certainly have a common agenda.
