Religious pluralism has long been an interest of mine. Being raised in a conservative pentecostal church, I was led to believe that people unlike us were not saved. Our discrimination even encompassed Catholics as well as Protestants of non-pentecostal denominations. Faith for us was extremely discriminatory and we took the "there are few who find it" of Matthew 7:14 seriously. We were an exclusive few that had the whole truth. Any idea of diversity or divergent approaches to faith were quickly dispelled.
As an adult, however, I have come to value diversity and believe that there are many ways to arrive at the same place. Each of us are unique individuals with our respective ideas and logic, invested with reason and rational minds that process the world around us in different ways. There are many ways to look at the world and various worldviews that are equally as valid as any other. It is an extremely impious and supercilious attitude that concludes that there is only one way to approach the divine and eternity.
Christian scriptures record Jesus saying: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) This is one of a number of so called "I am" statements in the book of John where Christ claims certain exclusive functions regarding the divine and eternity. One must deal with these claims to exclusivity en route to a viable understanding of religious pluralism. Do we reject these claims? Can we reinterpret these claims?
The rise of a global community forces people of different faiths to coexist together far more so than ever before. Exclusive claims have a far greater potential for harm and discrimination today than at any other time in the history of the world. Different cultures are meeting and being intertwined at an unprecedented rate. It is commonplace in our world to go to school, work, and live next door to people whose religious ideas are completely different than ours. Many of our preconceived notions about these faiths and their adherents are being destroyed. As a result, people are confused about how they should act towards those different from them.
In light of all these developments, I think that we should reevaluate our faith and its truth claims. Especially those of us whose religion makes universal truth claims such as those stated above regarding Jesus. This certainly does not mean that we abandon our faith. But, in order to live peacefully with those around us, we must learn to coexist in a way that does not harm our fellowman nor do any harm to our respective faiths. There are a number of criterion that should govern us in this pursuit.
The single greatest value needed in this endeavor is respect. We must learn to respect the right of others to express and live out their faith in the world. This respect implies tolerance; tolerance of different opinions, different values and lifestyles, different religious priorities and practices. We do not have to understand or even agree but we must afford others the right to be who they are and to believe what they choose to believe because to do so is to protect one's own freedoms in these areas.
Another response to religious diversity is love. Obviously, this is not romantic love but love that prefers others above oneself. Love that is patient and understands that all are God's children regardless of what they believe. Christian love, in particular, teaches us that love does not strive contentiously, is not arrogant and rude, always insisting on its own way. It is a love that values everyone the same without limits regarding religious persuasions. Love that is gracious and merciful; love that gives of itself to others and seeks to understand and meet the needs of others.
Accordingly, in this climate of religious pluralism, we need to learn to listen and to do so intently. When we listen to one another closely we may find many areas where we agree rather than disagree. Listening helps to avoid assumptions which often lead to misunderstandings and unwarranted animosity. Listening implies that we can actually learn from those different from ourselves; it serves to neutralize pride that can dig chasms between people that are unnecessary. Listening implies an honest effort to truly understand what the other person is saying.
Dialog is another necessary commodity in our effort to deal with religious pluralism. We must be willing to sit down at the table and really communicate with each another. This opens the possibility within each party of the prospect of change. Rather than always taking an either/or approach, through in depth dialog, we can sometimes embrace a both/and avenue. It may get a bit sticky here, but genuine communication in this arena implies that we are willing to accept the idea that there are aspects of our faith that can be enhanced by a deeper dialog with those of different faiths.
Religious pluralism is here to stay. We can fight it but in doing so we are actually fighting our fellowman. Consequently, we must learn to live with it, deal with it in a proactive way. We must learn to engage it in an effort to not only understand the beliefs of others but to more fully understand our own beliefs. This will help us identify those areas of our faith that are negotiable and those areas that are not. An ancient Jewish proverb states:"[i]ron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wit of another." (Proverbs 27:17)
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