Why Interfaith - A Philosophy of Interfaith Relations

by Laura Ellen Shulman



Rule #1: We acknowledge the fact that each of us has different views and that each of these views is valid because it is meaningful to the person who holds it.

    Interfaith relations may be considered a challenge to one's faith but one should not run away from such a challenge. Through this challenge we may find that our faith can grow. Many years ago I forced this challenge upon myself. I have made what I consider to be a very rational observation - one which turned me around from believing that my religion was the only right religion to being able to acknowledge that there is truth in all religions: if these other religions have survived for thousands of years and are followed by hundreds of millions, even a billion, people there must be some truth to them or they would not have spread and lasted. We owe it to ourselves to search everywhere for this Universal Truth. This Truth is a message about God in the world that goes beyond the specific language of any particular theology. Whether a Jew refers to "Shekhinah", or a Christian to "Holy Spirit", or a Hindu to "Atman", or a Buddhist to the "Buddha Nature", etc., etc., all faiths, all humans in all times and places, have sensed the immediate presence of "the One" among and amidst the many and in the heart and soul of each of us. God is so great as to have revealed Himself to all of us. Every religion of humanity is the inheritance of every individual human being.
    In my personal experience, learning about other people's beliefs has led to a greater understanding of Truth. For one thing, the process of sharing (explaining) our own faith with others helps us to grasp it better for ourselves. Second, when others share their faith with us, we may be surprised by the similarities that become evident and serve to point out the Universal and more basic Truths that we cannot disagree on because we have all been affected by them. Third, while there is only one God, we all perceive and understand that God differently and these differences can enlighten us to a new way of looking at something - a way that might make more sense to us than familiar beliefs that we never quite understood. Fourth, these differences can serve just the opposite purpose: rather than adopt a different belief, an understanding of other beliefs can help strengthen our own faith when we realize how strongly we disagree with the other beliefs. Finally, in the least an understanding of other people's faiths can aid in our relations with people who differ from us in their understanding of life, the world, God and the nature of humanity.

    When we explore the various religions in the world we can gain a greater understanding of the Universal Truth. I like to use the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle. We are trying to form a picture of God, or Ultimate Reality, or Universal Truth - whatever you care to call it. Each religion has some of the puzzle pieces but, alone, we cannot see the whole picture. If we pool our pieces we can arrive at a fuller understanding of that mystery that is so great as to affect every culture in all times.
    Or we can use another analogy: imagine God at the center of a circle with people of different religions standing around the circumference. We are all looking at the same object but each of us will only see one side of it. There is a story that comes out of India that speaks to this notion:

Six blind men went to see an elephant. One touched the leg of the elephant, and said, "The elephant is like a tree." The second touched the trunk, and said, "The elephant is like a snake." The third touched the elephant's side, and said, "The elephant is like a wall." The fourth touched the ears, and said, "The elephant is like a fan." The fifth touched the tusk, and said, "The elephant is like a spear." The sixth touched the tail, and said, "The elephant is like a rope."

Thus they began to dispute amongst themselves as to the figure of the elephant. A passerby seeing them thus quarreling, said, "What is it that you are disputing about?" They told him everything, and asked him to arbitrate. That man said, "None of you has seen the elephant. The elephant is not like a tree; its legs are like trees. It is not like a wall; its side is like a wall. It is not like a fan; its ears are like fans. It is not like a snake, but its nose is like that. It is not like a spear; its tusks are like spears. It is not like a rope; its tail is like a rope. The elephant is the combination of all these."

 When we share our various views of God with each other we can gain a more complete picture.
    Then there is the image of a mountain. Imagine that God is at the top of a mountain and we must make a difficult climb to reach the summit. Others are also climbing at the same time, but by different roads. Each road up the mountain side is a different religion. We are all making our way to the same goal but by a different path. If you take this analogy a little farther it will become clear that at the base of the mountain, when we are furthest from God, we are also furthest from those who are following a different path. However, as we approach the top of the mountain the roads become closer to each other as they get closer to God. And what do you suppose will happen when we reach the top? At the point where all roads meet and merge in God what religion will we be?!

    A question we might ask ourselves as we pursue interfaith relations is "what is religious unity?" Would it be found in one of the current religions surviving beyond all the others as the "only right religion"? Would it be found in a new religion yet to develop which would supersede all others, making them obsolete? Would it be a syncretistic approach, a mixing of all current religions - either a combining of our different practices or saving only that which we have in common? Would a transcending spirituality make all external religious forms obsolete? Or is religious unity, rather than practical, no more than theoretical? Outwardly, our religious practice remains unchanged, but inwardly, we are changed - having discovered the unity in our diversity, we accept that other religions work just as well for other people.
    Religion can be traced back as far as historians have been able to trace human civilization. Some religions have died out but others have grown up to take their place. New prophets and new religions are bound to continue to spring up in the future. However, it will be an expanding effort at interfaith dialogue, relations and working together, tolerance and acceptance that will be the true sign of a new era in the religious history of humanity. New religions will be as much a part of this as the old ones, but the development of interfaith relations is entirely different from the development of new religions. Interfaith has nothing to do with the development of some new religion. Interfaith dialogue is a concept that seeks a common ground on which diverse traditions can meet in mutual respect and sharing. It is not instead of our traditions, but in addition. It is a way to come to know people of other traditions and understand their perspective on various issues - to explore one mountain through many paths.
    We can find some amazing similarities when we study the many different religions in this world - things that are so basic to Truth that we cannot disagree. If we believe there is but one God for all humanity then we must consider that this God has revealed the Truth to many cultures in many times. Surely, a god for all humanity would not be selective and "false gods" do not exist. It is the same God and the same Truth - the only difference is that it was not the same people and not the same culture. Thus, the differences are due to human limitation and cultural influences that have colored the pure revelation. Whether it be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other revelation, there is no exception. Yes, I am suggesting that what we think and believe about the Ultimate Reality is not entirely true. But I am not suggesting that this Truth does not exist. I am suggesting that, through cooperation, we can improve the accuracy of our understanding.

    The many differences in the religions are more often than not things that do not matter so much. Some people are more comfortable with certain rituals and others are not. Some mentalities are better suited to one philosophy while others find a clearer understanding through another - "to each his own." There have always been different religions and it is folly for us to imagine that it will ever be any other way. Everyone feels that their own beliefs are more true than everyone else's. Everyone's beliefs work for them (or they would not hold to it) but the same belief does not work for everyone. Different people have different needs and are of different temperaments. What matters is that it works, whatever it is. In order for it to work we must be free and feel free to believe as we see fit for ourselves. If we must fight prejudice, suppression, proselytism and hatred we cannot concentrate on what really matters. There is little point in arguing over the fine points of practice or the theological terms we use.
    The medieval Muslim mystic, Rumi, told a story that illustrates this point:

A man gave a coin to four persons. One of them, a Persian, said, "I will spend this on 'angur.'"
Another of them was an Arab; he said, "No, you rogue; I want 'inab,' not 'angur.'"
A third was a Turk; he said, "I do not want 'inab,' dear friend, I want 'uzum.'"
The forth was a Greek; he said, "Stop this altercation; I wish for 'istafil.'"
    Those persons began to fight against one another, because they were ignorant of the secret of the names. Through sheer ignorance they struck one another with their fists; they were full of ignorance and devoid of knowledge.
    If one who knew the inner truth, an estimable man versed in many tongues, had been there he would have reconciled them. He would have said, "With this one coin I will gratify the desire of all of you. If in all sincerity you entrust your hearts to me, this coin of yours will do so much for you. Your one coin will become as four, which is what is wanted; four enemies will become as one by concord."

    All four men, though they did not know it, desired the same thing - grapes.

 Our religions are like languages that we use to speak to each other about God and to express our religious sentiments. However, regardless of how different they may appear, the object of our desire is the same for each of us. Religious unity is found in that which is before and beyond all labels and appearances, in that which is the basis of all religions - in God alone (whatever we may call it).

    Get to the center of your own tradition, find God within, and you recognize the unity of all religions. God is that unity. Forget the forms, symbols, rituals - without the realization of God it is all empty. The goal of religious unity is to demonstrate that the center of all religions is the same. Thus do we free people to follow their own path up the mountain (or to the center of the circle). The true goal of working for religious unity is not peace and harmony among all peoples. The true goal is to lead all to that universal center of inner peace and harmony. From this point, peace and harmony in the world will occur naturally. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you." [MT 6:33]
    God is the One that makes us one. Life, the world, God and the nature of humanity are the same for all of us. We live together in one universe and the laws of nature are the same for each of us. There is one God, Truth, Spirit, Spiritual Nature, Ultimate Reality, Light, Life Force, Source, Love, Peace, The One. . . and we all live under its rule. We are all trying to understand what this might be. Learning about other people's beliefs can lead us to a greater understanding of Truth. There is no greater reason to pursue interfaith relations!

 

Explore possibilities for interfaith opportunities:
The North American Interfaith Network links to interfaith websites (http://www.nain.org/links/interfaith.htm)
The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington DC (http://www.interfaith-metrodc.org/ifc.htm)

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