Real Interfaith issues...

[Guest guest]

Let me share some of my experiences relating to the theme of

" Interfaith " covered at some meetings in London in the past few weeks.

 

I was asked to contribute at the 'Faith and Education' meeting set

up by the Home Office and was also asked to give a series of three

talks to groups of Christian Ministers at the London Interfaith Centre

and at the North Thames Ministerial College.

 

What I said seems to have touched the hearts of some of the participants.

I said the serious challenge we face this century is: Strife in the name of

religion. The challenges of last century where we had strife in the name

of political ideology caused a lot of bloodshed but the challenges we

face now are far more contentious. Religions are far more emotive subjects.

Some religions promise that 'for some finite acts we do here we gain an

infinite reward in the here-after'. The risk-reward ratio is skewed in the

extreme! How do we diffuse the situation?

I told the gatherings: The solution I offer comes from the Hindu tradition.

It is called 'Pluralism'. Put simply it says:-

" The same ultimate can be thought of an approached in a variety of ways. "

Why variety? Because the absolute is same but we are all different hence

our pathways to the absolute will reflect our different aptitudes & starting

points.

 

The problem with 'Exclusivist religions' is that they mistake their

destination (which is rightfully considered to be absolute) with their paths

and their tools (which are necessarily relative and different).

As the 'absolute' is difficult to grasp due to our limitations,

we go for the next best thing -- We go for the outer form of religions

i.e. the scriptures, the doctrines and even the prophets - and give

them the same valuation and consider them to be Absolute!

 

I told the meetings if ever any religion claims to have encapsulated

the absolute within its framework of doctrines, dogmas, prophets

and scriptures then by that very process that Religion has become

greater than the absolute!! How naive!

 

Sounds so easy to take in and yet, many mainstream Christians at

the meetings shuddered at the idea. It appears that I am taking away the

'absolute status of their prophet'. My response was:

There is no doubt about the greatness of not one prophet but all

prophets of all religions, they are the very foundation stones

- the only links we have with the 'spirit' and yet we have to recognise

that they could only have operated in a 'contextual manner'.

How else can they pass on spirituality to mankind?

This mature understanding is needed by all religions. Once we

recognise this 'contextual element in all religious teachings' our

interpretation of the scriptures and the prophets change. Our views

of other religions change. What is needed is not 'Tolerance of other

religions' but an 'educated acceptance of validity of other religions.'

This becomes possible.

 

Two objections came up from some of my interfaith colleagues.

 

(1) One suggested.. that perhaps the way we go about addressing

the issue of strife in the name of religion is to place greater emphasis

on the 'human dimension' and thus indirectly tone down the

'religious dimension'. My response is.... that would be throwing out

the baby with the bath-water.

Religions have lost out to the secular lobby.

 

(2) Second objection was:

Promoting pluralism in this manner is almost evangelical -surely

that too is dogmatic!!

My response is that I am invoking the element of my religion that

offers the best resolution to the problem we face now. It allows

religions to co-exist without compromise and with full dignity. How can

the validity of one religion be compromised if it accepts the validity of

other religions? That is pluralism.

 

We have two choices in this matter:

Either the major religions incorporate pluralism within the framework of

their religions and diffuse the situation now or sadly we will be singing

the glories of pluralism only after great many catastrophes.

 

jay lakhani

Vivekananda Centre London