Hard Interfaith Conversations I Would Like to Hear
HARD INTERFAITH CONVERSATIONS I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR
I have been in interfaith groups most of my adult life. While there is much to be gained from sharing meals and rituals, those are not the things religions usually fight about. Religions of love do not seek to divide the world, but, in the hands of unscrupulous politicians and clergy, sectarian religion can be used to shut down ethical discernment. Here are five difficult questions I would love to hear interfaith groups ask themselves.
How does my religion limit my concern to MY group? How has it told me stories of grievance that have historically justified violence against other groups?
How has my religion taught me that we are better than others? How might we be better neighbors to one another?
Do the assumptions of my religion make it harder to be scientific about the natural world? How might I understand religion’s symbols in a way that opens me to nature as it really is?
How does my religion generalize outsiders in a way that makes them a mere background in MY religion’s story?
How can our faiths both step out of our cultural tunnel vision and join in tandem to make this a better world?
Those are questions we should all ask ourselves. Thank you Jim.
"I have been in interfaith groups ..." Jim, love your questions. I would also love to hear more of the story behind your opening sentence. Maybe in a future post??