Something has been harboring in my head for a while now about interfaith dialogues. My last interaction was invited to be on the panel for this interfaith dialogue, in my closing speech I told them that in my opinion, this interfaith dialogue is very superficial. Not addressing the real issue at hand.
It's good to have a conversation with other faiths but once their faith threatens say more are converting to the other side, would their acceptance be the same? A valid concern about interfaith dialogues and the challenges they face in my opinion. Interfaith dialogues are often promoted as platforms for mutual understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.
However, they can sometimes remain superficial, focusing more on diplomacy and less on confronting the deeper issues of belief systems and religious identity. One of the core challenges is that many religious traditions define their identity by exclusivity—believing their path is the ultimate truth. When conversion rates rise or when one faith community perceives a threat to its numbers or influence, it can expose the fragility of tolerance.
This is especially true when interfaith dialogues skirt around contentious topics like apostasy, conversion, or the legitimacy of other faiths. If the participants are not willing to grapple with these core issues such as what it means for someone to leave or join a faith it can create an illusion of harmony while masking deeper divisions.
Faith communities may appear open to dialogue but may still harbor strong sentiments of mistrust or even hostility when their religious identity feels threatened.
For interfaith dialogue to go beyond the superficial, it must address the question of how different religious communities can coexist, not just in times of peace, but also in moments of tension, especially when issues of conversion, religious freedom, or even doctrinal exclusivity come into play.
It requires more than tolerance it demands a willingness to accept that others might choose different paths without it being seen as a threat.
My other questions: Do you think this deeper level of engagement is possible, or does the fear of offending make such discussions too difficult to pursue openly in interfaith settings?
