How to understand assisi interfaith prayers?

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brothersun

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The popes, starting with pope john paul ii in 1986, have held interfaith prayers with non christians at assisi. Non christians were asked to come to assisi to pray according to their own religious traditions.

Is it not a sin for a catholic to ask non christians to pray according to their own traditions? Take for example, asking a hindu to pray according to his tradition. The hindu then, will pray to shiva, and bow to a statue of shiva. Will this not be wrong to ask him to do so?

One could say, the catholic is not bowing to the statue or praying to the god himself, he is asking the hindu to do so. But the hindu then, would be doing something wrong, and asking somebody to do something wrong would be a sin.

One could then say, the hindu committing such an act is not committing a sin, for he does not know that bowing to the statue, or praying to the god is wrong. But the catholic would know it is wrong, and asking for the hindu to do a wrong, even if he wouldn’t commit a sin due to his ignorance, is a sin.

One could then say, the hindu will not be doing anything wrong by bowing to the statue, or by praying to shiva, for he is not worshipping the statue itself, but the god that is represented by the statue, and worshipping shiva is not wrong, for shiva is merely another name for the one true God. But if this is true, then it wouldn’t be wrong for a catholic to bow to a statue of shiva, or to pray to shiva, since bowing down and praying to shiva would be the same as praying to God.

One could then say, yes, the assisi interfaith prayers are wrong, since it asks those of other religions to pray according to their religious traditions. But then, pope john paul ii was the one who started such interfaith prayers, he is a saint.
 
Apparently one could say many things. Nonetheless, if interfaith prayer promotes mutual respect and tolerance for diverse faith traditions, it is, in my book, rather than a sin, a blessing.
 
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But surely the ends can’t justify the means? It is written in the bible, “But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?” (Romans 3:5-6)
 
Jesus said all the world will know who we are by our love for one another. Was He referring only to Christians loving one another? I doubt it. Loving our neighbor beats fighting with him any day of the year. And if Christians must evangelize according to Jesus’ commandment, let them do it without malice but with charity, compassion, and proper example. I commend Pope John Paul II for his noble and kind efforts.
 
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Yet would it be okay to ask our neighbor to commit a wrong in order to love him?
 
We can’t take the Bible (or any other real or representative item of faith) and bash people into submission. We take baby steps, meeting them where they are, forging relationships and dialogue. That allows the Holy Spirit to work. Conversion isn’t our job; we’re just stage hands.
 
We believe they’re wrong; they don’t. Charging in with an “I’m right, you’re wrong” mentality rarely wins friends or gets people to an understanding.
 
But surely asking them to pray according to their own religious tradition is wrong? One can dialogue without doing so
 
One could dialogue, but they may not accept the invitation. The way I see it, and I imagine the way St. John Paul the Great also saw it, they’re going to do this whether we invite them to or not - we’re simply doing what we believe is right alongside what they’re already doing. This is our chance (hopefully) to show them something beautiful and desirable. St. Paul himself used similar evangelization strategies in the New Testament.
 
We believe in one God, creator of heaven and earth.

Sometimes it is important to contrast that one God against other gods who represent errant selfish or sectarian authorities.

At other times, we recognize that God created all people. They may not have received a revelation of Jesus, but they receive sunlight and rain, family and friends, and every good thing from God. In their religion, they can work out the significance of these things and respond appropriately. When they are responding to the one God who made us all, they are doing what we are and should be encouraged in that direction.

At Assisi representatives of different religions gathered to pray for peace. This is a shared value that is based on the love God has for every person. It is a sign to the world that all recognize the need for peace among all of good will. Rather than emphasize our conflicts and disagreements, we can encourage cooperation together throughout earth and heaven.
 
Dovekin said:
We believe in one God, creator of heaven and earth.

Sometimes it is important to contrast that one God against other gods who represent errant selfish or sectarian authorities.

At other times, we recognize that God created all people. They may not have received a revelation of Jesus, but they receive sunlight and rain, family and friends, and every good thing from God. In their religion, they can work out the significance of these things and respond appropriately. When they are responding to the one God who made us all, they are doing what we are and should be encouraged in that direction.

At Assisi representatives of different religions gathered to pray for peace. This is a shared value that is based on the love God has for every person. It is a sign to the world that all recognize the need for peace among all of good will. Rather than emphasize our conflicts and disagreements, we can encourage cooperation together throughout earth and heaven.
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I wouldn’t see anything wrong with asking non catholics to pray for peace. Even if they were asked to pray however they see fit, or according to their conscience, i wouldn’t see it as wrong. But to ask them to pray according to their religious traditions?
 
To be clear majority of Hindus would feel that they are praying to God represented by the images, not the other options you mention.
 
brothersun said:
to ask them to pray according to their religious traditions?
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When a Buddhist prays for peace alongside a muslim praying for peace, both are expressing a desire for peace that has been shaped by their traditions. There is a common element as well as differences. The desire for peace is planted in each of us by God. By bringing that common gift out into the open, we help more people see God’s gift to us. We see one another as united, perhaps as children of one Father, or as servants of One God, or any number of oher ways, but joined in a search for peace.
 
brothersun said:
But to ask them to pray according to their religious traditions
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I don’t see the problem. God is greater than everyone involved and hears the prayer even if it’s not directly directed to Him.
 
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I think it helps when we remember, by the virtue of our God-given faith, that firstly we are all sinners. But also we are all of us Noah’s sons.
 
The Assis events were not per se wrong, but the images were scandalous in that they implied religious indifferentism and putting temporal peace among Christ’s peace, even though this was not the intention.

All the addresses on it I have read from Pope John Paul II refer to prayer to the Creator or Absolute Being, etc. He does not encourage anyone to adore creatures or other things of a contingent essence. People of other religions praying to the one God for a good (like peace) is not a sin, since even those without supernatural faith can know God by reason. For example, if you’re evangelizing someone who believes in God, but does not have the faith, it would not be wrong, as part of your efforts, to encourage them to pray to God for the truth or for wisdom and faith. Along those lines, I don’t think asking someone to pray to God for peace is itself evil. It would be wrong to encourage them to adore or place their faith in an idol or other creature or to pray to demons, etc., of course, or to imply that religious differences don’t matter.

In addition, there was not common prayer–people prayed separately. As Cardinal Kasper put it, “Christians and the followers of other religions can pray, but cannot pray together. Every form of syncretism is to be excluded.”

John Paul II also preached Jesus Christ to the non-Catholics gathered there. For example, the Pope did state to all present that “peace bears the name of Jesus Christ.” Additionally he said:

“I profess here anew my conviction, shared by all Christians, that in Jesus Christ, as Saviour of all, true peace is to be found, “peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are near”. His birth was greeted by the angels’ song: “Glory to God in the highest and peace among men with whom he is pleased”. He preached love among all, even among foes, proclaimed blessed those who work for peace and through his Death and Resurrection he brought about reconciliation between heaven and earth. To use an expression of Paul the Apostle: “He is our peace.””

http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-p...i_spe_19861027_prayer-peace-assisi-final.html

Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by the relativistic images and some of the unfortunate events that happened (like Buddhists putting a Buddha statue on an altar).
 
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Genesis315 said:
“Christians and the followers of other religions can pray, but cannot pray together.
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In the past Christians recognised their differences, and they killed each other over these differences. Today Christians are praying together, Jesus hasn’t changed the rules, the Bible has not changed, but we are changing.

More needs to be done, I have felt blessed when praying with non - Christians; they have prayed for me, and I have prayed for their needs.
 
Indeed, we are all sinners. Many non-believers have virtues I don’t. But I think it’s a bit too far to pray with pagans who are praying to false gods - Elijah didn’t condone this when he challenged the priests of Baal
 
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