Sad about the state of inter-religious dialogue

[Matthew_Light]

I am feeling sad that on almost every post about a particular religion on almost any internet forum, people who are members of other religions chime in about how the first religion is wrong because of X, Y or Z. It doesn’t matter which religion - Catholicism, Lutheranism, Mormonism, Islam etc.

Is this really what religion boils down to? I am right and you are wrong and here is why?

 

[CalCatholic]

I am feeling sad that on almost every post about a particular religion on almost any internet forum, people who are members of other religions chime in about how the first religion is wrong because of X, Y or Z. It doesn’t matter which religion - Catholicism, Lutheranism, Mormonism, Islam etc.

Is this really what religion boils down to? I am right and you are wrong and here is why?

I have have/had friends, neighbors and co-workers that were Mormons, JWs, evangelical Christians, Buddhists and Atheists and have never had any problems. If you want people to see the beauty of your faith, it is best seen through your actions and how you treat people, not by trying to convert them to your belief.

 

[Matthew_Light]

I have have/had friends, neighbors and co-workers that were Mormons, JWs, evangelical Christians, Buddhists and Atheists and have never had any problems. If you want people to see the beauty of your faith, it is best seen through your actions and how you treat people, not by trying to convert them to your belief.

Fully agree!

Our actions show what we really believe much more than those things we profess to hold to.

 

[eddie_too]

I think people disagree about religion because the truth is important to them.

 

[eddie_too]

I think people disagree about religion because the truth is important to them.

 

[technatrix]

I am feeling sad that on almost every post about a particular religion on almost any internet forum, people who are members of other religions chime in about how the first religion is wrong because of X, Y or Z. It doesn’t matter which religion - Catholicism, Lutheranism, Mormonism, Islam etc.

Is this really what religion boils down to? I am right and you are wrong and here is why?

To be fair, that’s sort of the state of the internet more than the state of the world. I bet a lot of those people would be more reluctant to bash another person’s religion to their face.

 

[christofirst]

There is always hope:

"The truth is that interreligious contacts, together with ecumenical dialogue, now seem to be obligatory paths, in order to ensure that the many painful wounds inflicted over the course of centuries will not be repeated, and indeed that any such wounds still remaining will soon be healed."
Pope St. John Paul II, 1992

I am also encouraged to by the Inter Monastic Dialogue:

monasticinterreligiousdialogue.com

and

www.dimmid.org

But its true there is a lot of fear and suspicion online.

 

[johnnyc176]

I think people disagree about religion because the truth is important to them.

Exactly and no matter how charitable one is in proclaiming the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Church, the Catholic Church they will be called intolerant, bigot and any other name that looks to bury the Truth in relativism.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

To be fair, that’s sort of the state of the internet more than the state of the world. I bet a lot of those people would be more reluctant to bash another person’s religion to their face.

Agreed. The internet really does bring out the worst in people.

 

[johnnyc176]

If you want people to see the beauty of your faith, it is best seen through your actions and how you treat people, not by trying to convert them to your belief.

Of course we should live our Faith but if we only did that we really would not be following the commission of Jesus when He told the apostles to go out and preach His Gospel and to make disciples. All except one were killed doing just that. They were not forcing anyone.

In Catholicism it is both/and. Your preference may be to be a silent witness but this type of ministry is also doing the Lord’s work…

streetevangelization.com/

 

[Genesis315]

I think people disagree about religion because the truth is important to them.

I think people disagree about religion because the truth is important to them.

So right, he said it twice!

Exactly and no matter how charitable one is in proclaiming the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Church, the Catholic Church they will be called intolerant, bigot and any other name that looks to bury the Truth in relativism.

Right, inter-religious dialogue must be based on the truth, including the superiority of Jesus Christ and his Gospel and the need to covert to the truth for salvation:
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:

Inter-religious dialogue, therefore, as part of her evangelizing mission, is just one of the actions of the Church in her mission ad gentes.97 Equality, which is a presupposition of inter-religious dialogue, refers to the equal personal dignity of the parties in dialogue, not to doctrinal content, nor even less to the position of Jesus Christ — who is God himself made man — in relation to the founders of the other religions. Indeed, the Church, guided by charity and respect for freedom,98 must be primarily committed to proclaiming to all people the truth definitively revealed by the Lord, and to announcing the necessity of conversion to Jesus Christ and of adherence to the Church through Baptism and the other sacraments, in order to participate fully in communion with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thus, the certainty of the universal salvific will of God does not diminish, but rather increases the duty and urgency of the proclamation of salvation and of conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html

 

[Telstar]

I think people disagree about religion because the truth is important to them.

Exactly and no matter how charitable one is in proclaiming the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Church, the Catholic Church they will be called intolerant, bigot and any other name that looks to bury the Truth in relativism.

That was my first thought, too. Jesus is Truth Incarnate. He commissioned the Apostles to proclaim the Gospel and lead all people to His Church, which contains the fullness of His Truth, and everything else that Jesus taught them, to save souls. When Catholics attempt to follow what Jesus commanded and proclaim that truth, we are often accused of being intolerant of what others might believe. But, if we know that what they believe is not the whole truth, what else are we supposed to do?

Sometimes, the truth hurts. Does that mean we should sit back and keep it to ourselves, and allow others to wander around, not knowing where to find it? When we see that they might need a little help in understanding it, should we just walk away and let them try to figure it out on their own, instead of speaking up? I’m pretty sure Jesus would want us to try and help them. So, why should I have to keep my mouth shut and let them continue to believe something that I know for a fact is wrong? What kind of Christian would I be, if I knew that something my fellow Christians believed was wrong, but I was too afraid to try and do anything to help them, because it might hurt their feelings?

When we’re both standing in front of Jesus on the last day, they’d probably have good reason to be mad at me and say, “Why didn’t you tell me I was wrong!!??”

But for now, they just say, “It’s none of your business what I believe, Mrs. Buttinski!”

Sometimes, ya just can’t win, even when you’re just trying to help people.

 

[friardchips]

Exactly and no matter how charitable one is in proclaiming the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Church, the Catholic Church they will be called intolerant, bigot and any other name that looks to bury the Truth in relativism.

 

[friardchips]

That was my first thought, too. Jesus is Truth Incarnate. He commissioned the Apostles to proclaim the Gospel and lead all people to His Church, which contains the fullness of His Truth, and everything else that Jesus taught them, to save souls. When Catholics attempt to follow what Jesus commanded and proclaim that truth, we are often accused of being intolerant of what others might believe. But, if we know that what they believe is not the whole truth, what else are we supposed to do?

Sometimes, the truth hurts. Does that mean we should sit back and keep it to ourselves, and allow others to wander around, not knowing where to find it? When we see that they might need a little help in understanding it, should we just walk away and let them try to figure it out on their own, instead of speaking up? I’m pretty sure Jesus would want us to try and help them. So, why should I have to keep my mouth shut and let them continue to believe something that I know for a fact is wrong? What kind of Christian would I be, if I knew that something my fellow Christians believed was wrong, but I was too afraid to try and do anything to help them, because it might hurt their feelings?

When we’re both standing in front of Jesus on the last day, they’d probably have good reason to be mad at me and say, “Why didn’t you tell me I was wrong!!??”

But for now, they just say, “It’s none of your business what I believe, Mrs. Buttinski!”

Sometimes, ya just can’t win, even when you’re just trying to help people.

 

[schaeffer]

I don’t think there is any way to discuss different religions that each party holds dear without somehow addressing the differences. And if one believes they are right, and the other holds a different belief…at least if the parties involved are monotheists…it comes down to who’s right.

But religion itself is so much more than an “I’m right/You’re wrong” discussion.

Most people, in the practice of their religious faith, spend little time worrying about some person out there being wrong. It’s about their own relationship with perceived truth.

 

[Peter_J]

To be fair, that’s sort of the state of the internet more than the state of the world. I bet a lot of those people would be more reluctant to bash another person’s religion to their face.

I agree with this as well. Hence why I’m always pointing out to people “Catholicism is not a website.”

 

[Eric_Hyom]

He commissioned the Apostles to proclaim the Gospel and lead all people to His Church, which contains the fullness of His Truth, and everything else that Jesus taught them, to save souls. When Catholics attempt to follow what Jesus commanded and proclaim that truth, we are often accused of being intolerant of what others might believe. But, if we know that what they believe is not the whole truth, what else are we supposed to do?
:

This is not the greatest commandment, we should concentrate on the greatest above all else, then all things will fall into place.

Sometimes, the truth hurts. Does that mean we should sit back and keep it to ourselves,

the greatest commandments must be a greatest truth, I am not sure how that truth would hurt

 

[Matthew_Light]

we should concentrate on the greatest above all else, then all things will fall into place.

Amen.

 

[HungerNThirst4R]

To be fair, that’s sort of the state of the internet more than the state of the world. I bet a lot of those people would be more reluctant to bash another person’s religion to their face.

Amen, It is so discouraging even on this site! I’ve seen people discouraged by the Catholic faith just because of posts on here.

My pastor, God Bless him, gave a homily today about loving each other no matter the faith, color, culture, background etc. He also stressed that loving those who love us is without merit, but to love those who persecute us and hate us is what we must all strive for. Of course it was based on Mk 12:28-34:

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

PLEASE PRACTICE AND PRAY FOR TOLERANCE AND LOVE!

 

[Matthew_Light]

My pastor, God Bless him, gave a homily today about loving each other no matter the faith, color, culture, background etc. He also stressed that loving those who love us is without merit, but to love those who persecute us and hate us is what we must all strive for. Of course it was based on Mk 12:28-34:
!

God bless him indeed!