Ten suggested rules for interfaith dialogue. (All participants must observe these rules if the dialogue is to accomplish anything.)
[Source: Swidler, Leonard, “Interreligious and Interideological Dialogue: The Matrix for All Systematic Reflection Today,” in Swidler, Leonard, editor, Toward a Universal Theology of Religion, Orbis Books, 1987, pp. 14-16.]
Note: These may seem pretty abstract, but they can be useful in the Scouting world. We will comment on them below.
1. The primary purpose of dialogue is to learn—that is, to change and grow in the perception and understanding of reality, and then to act accordingly.
2. Interreligious dialogue must be a two-sided project—within each religious community, and between religious communities.
3. Each participant must come to the dialogue with complete honesty and sincerity, and each participant must assume complete honesty and sincerity in the other partners.
4. In interreligious dialogue we must not compare our ideals with our partner’s practice.
5. All participants must define themselves, and the interpreted must be able to recognize themselves in the interpretation.
6. Each participant must come to the dialogue with no hard-and-fast assumptions as to points of disagreement.
7. Dialogue can take place only between equals.
8. Dialogue can take place only on the basis of mutual trust.
9. Persons entering into interreligious dialogue must be at least minimally self-critical of both themselves and their own religious tradition.
10. Each participant eventually must attempt to experience the partner’s religion “from within.”
Reproduced with permission of Orbis Books. Thanks also to Leonard Swidler, author of these “rules.” His comments on them are at http://astro.temple.edu/~dialogue/Antho/decalog.htm
Scouting comments by Richard Davies:
In the United States many of us have been raised with the advice, “Never discuss religion or politics,” so we have a natural reluctance when it comes to interreligious dialogue, but when someone of a different faith comes into our Scout unit, talking about religion is a natural part of getting to know the new member. That is why these guidelines are relevant in Scouting.
The basic point is, “be courteous" (the fifth point of the Scout law).
Most of us are convinced that our religion is the “best,” and because of that, we want to share our religion with others, but if that is our primary concern no one will benefit. We need to understand each other. If the new scout is a member of a religion that is a minority in the U.S., we may think he understands Christianity just by being here, but he may not. After all, there are many varieties of Christianity, and the members don’t necessarily understand one another. So the primary purpose of dialogue is learning, not arguing or convincing.
Unfortunately throughout history certain religious believers of all kinds have done bad things to believers of other faiths. A serious student of history can show how each of us comes from a heritage that has had elements of bigotry and hatred, even though the founder of our faith was peaceful. This is the reason for the fourth rule. Both Christ and Buddha, for example, were peaceful, but over the centuries both “Christians” and “Buddhists” (so-called) have led religious wars of hatred and vengeance. Dialogue will degenerate into quarreling if we compare our best with the other person’s worst.
The fifth rule may seem hard to understand, but it is important. Don’t say, “You are a Catholic, so I already know what you believe,” or “You are a Protestant, so I already know what you believe,” or “You are a Mormon, so I already know what you believe.” Even if you have a Ph.D. in religious studies, let the other person explain their personal understanding of their beliefs. Also, if later in the dialogue you say something about their religion and they disagree, then admit that they are correct.
If we think our religion is “best” (and there is nothing wrong with thinking this), then it will be difficult to see a person of a different religion as our “equal” when it comes to religion. If we are going to learn anything in the dialogue, we must be open to the other person. This is what rule seven is about.
The word “self-critical” in rule nine may cause difficulty. This is because the word “critical” has a variety of meanings. In rule nine, “self-critical” does not mean being negative about your own religion. It means being ready to examine your own religion closely from all angles, and it means being willing to admit that you don’t know as much about your religion as you should.
Finally, we should try to experience the other person’s religion. On the practical, daily level this will probably mean attending a worship service. Each person in the dialogue should make a suggestion as to how a person of another religion might be able to “experience” the other person’s religion.