How to have effective interfaith dialogue?
10 tips to have effective interfaith dialogue
Is it possible to have effective interfaith dialogue?
In this post I will provide a brief description to what is interfaith dialogue, its place in society etc. Here is a summary of some practical tips so that you can have effective interfaith dialogue:Interfaith dialogue occurs in everyday life e.g. between classmates studying, co-workers having lunch, parents waiting to collect their children from school, members of a football team, or people involved in a social action project. As people from different faiths and beliefs become friends, this can generate numerous discussions about each other’s faiths, important messages from their scriptures, festivals, what things do they practise and how do they affect them in modern life.
Interfaith dialogue is about have understanding and respect for other people’s religions, and increasing the awareness of shared values. When we are engaged in interfaith dialogue with religious people we become more considerate of their relationship with God. Through effective interfaith dialogue all people’s faiths can become stronger.
There are various occasions in which interfaith dialogue takes place e.g. a panel discussion on a particular topic or field, events about food, shared projects, faith trails etc. These activities are led by organisations around the world like The Inter faith Network and Inter faith Week in the UK, as well as the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) and Interfaith Alliance in the USA.
In society everyone is informed about interfaith dialogue activities, whether they are stories which appear on national/international news and/or friend’s posts on various social media channels. They are recognised by many people but somehow they do not necessarily relate to them on a personal level.
What happens a lot in intercultural and interfaith dialogues is that communication is not effective even though there are good intentions. One can say something and the other person hears something completely different, which can lead to misunderstandings, frustrations, and conflicts.
People need to be provided with practical guidelines to have effective interfaith dialogue in all situations and occasions. Below are 10 tips which you can apply today and enable you to have effective interfaith dialogue with others, build trust, respect, and feel heard and understood.
1. Share your knowledge and experiences about your own traditions
When you are engaged in interfaith dialogue with others, share with them insights about your religious traditions in terms of what they are, when do you practise them, and why are they important. Some traditions are experienced with family and friends on specific occasions and others are carried out everyday which you can talk about.
2. Enter into a dialogue with the intention to learn and grow. Don’t try to change other people’s views and opinions
Everyone who wants to engage in interfaith dialogue needs to have an open and flexible frame of mind in order to learn and change their own views. It is not a chance to change others and convince them that their attitudes and opinions are wrong. It is an opportunity for everyone to learn and grow together. Each participant will transform into a different person after they have engaged in effective interfaith dialogue.
3. Support your own community
It is important to engage in dialogue with other members of your community as well as with people of other faiths. Create opportunities to share with them the beneficial outcomes of interfaith dialogue. Examples:- organise a class about what you know about interfaith dialogue and why it is important for your community to take part in it, arrange interfaith events at your community centre or temple with activities which everyone from other local faith communities will enjoy i.e. meditations, sports, kids games, food stalls etc. With time communities can learn and change, gaining ever more perceptive insight into reality.
4. Be honest and sincere
Authentic dialogue is created when there is mutual trust and openness. There are very distinct differences between honesty and sincerity. Honesty is when someone says something that they think and presume to be true. Whereas sincerity is about expressing what one thinks and apparently feel. Apply these 2 concepts with caution and when they are appropriate.
5. Respect other people’s religious identities and customs. Expect they will do the same for you
Someone who engages in interfaith dialogue is able to easily express the importance of their own traditions and what they feel about them. This does not mean they are changing, and/or expanding their knowledge and understanding. By showing interest in other people’s faiths and their traditions the more they will want to learn about yours. The principle of reciprocity is one of the basic laws of social psychology which explains that we pay back what we receive from others.
6. Don’t assume anything
Predicting what someone will say is not encouraged in interfaith dialogue. It is best to find out the commonalities shared by the different traditions while preserving one’s own customs. Be empathetic towards another person. Disagreements are likely to arise and they must be respected.
7. Be an equal partner in the dialogue
If you want to engage in interfaith dialogue you must be committed to learn from the other people involved and reciprocate by sharing your understanding. All members of interfaith dialogue are equals. There is no dialogue if only one member contributes and the others do not respond or share anything.
8. Always reflect and criticize your traditions
Besides being able to preserve your traditions and express them with confidence, it is also beneficial to criticize them respectfully. Having an attitude that there is nothing to criticize about one’s traditions implies that they are correct and one cannot learn anything from them. This makes interfaith dialogue impossible to accomplish. Being objective can help you to test your understanding of your traditions and obtain greater meaning of them to achieve fulfillment.
9. Experience other people’s faiths and try to see yours from an outsider’s perspective
Being a part of a religion involves everything to do with the mind, soul, and the body on a personal level as well as an interpersonal level. Experiencing someone else’s religion with openness can bring you enlightenment as well as broaden your understanding.
10. Be aware of cultural conditioning and historical events
It is possible during interfaith dialogue that some people may recall painful memories. You must be aware of these memories and understand how they could change the dialogue. In addition you can help the people involved to focus on a peaceful future.
Final thoughts
Interfaith dialogue is about have understanding and respect for other people’s religions, and increasing the awareness of shared values. This field of study is massive to be discussed in a single blog post. The above are only ‘some’ practical tips which anyone can apply today to have effective interfaith dialogue in all situations and occasions.