Interfaith refers to dialogue or activities involving persons of different religious faiths.
There are various views and approaches:
- Convergence on social issues
Some believe that adherents of various religions can converge (come together and unite) on common social issues (e.g. fighting poverty or drug addiction), without necessarily coming to a consensus on doctrinal issues.
Interfaith activities can cause people to erroneously assume that participating religions are (or consider each other to be) equally valid.
- Convergence on social issues and affirmation of legitimacy/equality
Others believe that adherents of various religions can converge on such social issues and (eventually) accept each others doctrines as valid (regardless of conflicting claims to truth).
This is the promotion and acceptance of pluralism, which is unacceptable to Christians.
- Dialogue and debate
Yet others see interfaith dialogue as a way for adherents of various religions to learn about and understand each other beliefs - without accepting conflicting claims to truth. Often, this is seen as a step toward (more effective) debate and/or evangelism.
Many interfaith organizations discourage or prohibit proselytism
discussions. When Christians are thus prevented from certain evangelistic activities, or see criticism of so-called alternative religious movements stiffled, the message of the Gospel is compromised.
promotes the approach to interreligious dialogue described by Jason Barker in his series of articles
on the subject, as published in Watchman Fellowship
's Watchman Expositor magazine (Vol. 15, No. 4, 1998).
The magazine includes the following definitions:
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