Inter Faith for the Cautious
An Article (mainly) for Christians
How do we approach thinking about other faiths?
Jesus lived in a multi faith environment — Greek/Roman philosophies and religions, Judaism, Jewish sects (or cults), Essenes, Samaritans, who were not recognised as proper Jews, ‘pagan’ religions. Jesus said, though he wasn’t talking about other faiths at the time:
whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Mt 7:12).
“The most important [commandment],” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29–32)
We should at least be polite when encountering other faiths, we will then be able to have a conversation, they might respect our religion too. Would it not be embarrassing if having expressed negative views about people of other faiths they still respond graciously and respectfully to us as friends and neighbours, manifesting the love and grace of God? Jesus also said — Stop judging, so that you won’t be judged (Mt 7:1); and, my favourite, the biggest challenge to our Christian, but post-Jesus outlook — But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first (Mt. 19.30).
So if we can be open, and I see my role as encouraging open-mindedness (without telling people what to think); and seek to understand what others are experiencing from their own perspective, then we can begin to think about other faiths.
What’s my agenda?
‘Inter faith’ is not syncretism (mixing and merging), or suggesting that all religions are ‘valid’. I am not involved in, or advocating, any kind of compromise. There are a few instances in the Bible of positive responses to believers in different traditions. Firstly, the enigmatic meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek — priest of God Most High (Gen. 14) — same God, different religion, Abraham’s faith had no priesthood. He called God by a different name, but Abraham recognises him as a servant and minister of God. Or Moses’ father-in-law, another priest in Exodus 18,
9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, “Praise be to the LORD , who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God. Moses and the elders actually take part in inter faith worship, sharing in Jethro’s sacrifice.
One of the best examples though, also rather unusual, shows toleration of another religion’s practices, 2 Kg 5:17ff: So Naaman said … From now on I will sacrifice to the LORD alone. I will not offer any burnt offering or sacrifice to any other gods. May the LORD forgive me when my master goes to the temple of Rimmon to worship, leans on my arm, and I have to bow down in the temple of Rimmon. When I do this, may the LORD forgive me for this one thing.” Elisha told Naaman, “Go in peace.”
Our differences cannot be glossed over or ignored, but they do not exclude us from being together and praying to our God. We have competing exclusive claims, contradictory truths, but we all depend on God’s grace, seek God’s will and know that, in spiritual terms, we are nothing without God. Nor does God ‘belong’ to either Muslims or Christians, we belong to God.
What kind of relationships can we have with people of other faiths?
There are lots of questions and comments which people put to me regularly.
- What basis is there for relations …?
- Well, we can’t can we, because of Jesus?
- Isn’t the only relationship that we should pursue one of seeking to convert?
- Aren’t other religions inspired by the Devil?
I recommend Kenneth Cracknell’s book ‘Towards a New Relationship — Christians and People of Other Faith’ [out of print]. He talks of ‘the distinctive quality of the personal relationships between believing people’. I have experienced this myself, in my work with Muslims I have ensured, from time to time, that they have somewhere to pray, sometimes in my office. I have seen their devotion as they pray, in the middle of the working day. For us as Christians there can be a strangeness in relating to other faiths out of our exclusivist tradition.
One of the most famous people of another religion, I won’t say another faith because although he was not a Jew, he had the same faith, is Job. He was an Edomite, though possibly one of Abraham’s descendants, and you can also read about him in the Qur’an. He is an important figure for the three faiths, without formally belonging to any of them. Another important verse is
Malachi 1.10"I wish that someone among you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not at all pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will not accept your offerings. 11But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty.
There is a similar verse in the Qur’an — 22.40 — which mentions churches and synagogues to the same effect. This is very radical, it is intended to shock, it is prophetic after all. God, through the prophet is saying I do not like your religion, your religious practices, it would be much better if you didn’t bother at all. I hope that God is not saying that to us today. But, he goes on, these other people, foreigners, people of other faiths, ‘heathen’ even, honour my name from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings. Some Bible translations seem to have a problem with this and use the eschatological language of ‘will honour’ and so on. But the text is pointing to the current situation. God’s chosen people are making a mockery of worship, have even betrayed the ‘true’ faith, while the ‘heathens’, people of other faiths, are truly worshipping God. Remember, also what Jesus says to the Samaritan woman, another inter faith encounter — a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth — place doesn’t matter but the Spirit in which it is done, the intention does.
So, what kind of relationships can we have? If we take a step of faith we can see ourselves as fellow pilgrims, without, I think, deceiving ourselves. I would also pose the question, again from our Scriptures (Romans 8) — What relationships may result from us having God as our Father, when God is the Father of all human beings and Jesus as the firstborn among many brothers [and sisters]?
We may not be bothered about our misunderstandings of, say, Hinduism and Buddhism, although in sharing in them we may be party to prejudice and slander. But, how happy would we be if Hindus and Buddhists really understood our faith, if they were our friends (and perhaps they are) and wanted to know more about Jesus? Is that not our mission/commission from Jesus himself? If we take real mutual witness seriously it enables others to witness to us about the joy of Buddhism, the beauty of Islam, the devotion of Sikhism. And if we are open to their witness we are open to the possibility and risk of being changed by it. Just as we may hope others come to faith in Christ, they will hope that we may wish to convert to Buddhism or Islam. On one level it is only fair, but it is also absolutely honest. If we put up walls we will not interact, potential for and openness to change are part of all true relationships.
Julian Bond, Director, Christian Muslim Forum
Based on some material originally presented to a Methodist audience
Originally published at www.christianmuslimforum.org.
