Purpose of Inter-Religious Dialogue

PURPOSE OF INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE and religious issues. Of course, dialogue should be at both levels, but their purpose is distinct. I believe a major purpose of inter-religious dialogue should be the search for Truth. In this process, dialogue partners can understand and learn from each other in a spirit of mutual respect. Therefore, they should present the views of their religion and their insights and experiences and at the same time be willing to learn from others when they present their religious views, insights, and experiences. This is how they may jointly progress in their search for Truth. Dialogue on religious issues is important in the search for Truth. It is extremely useful for people of various religions to share their experiences searching for Truth through such dialogue. It can help increase one’s knowledge, and learning from others may immensely benefit one’s journey in searching for Truth. If one thinks one has found what he regards as Truth with a capital ‘T’, he can share it with others through dialogue. Moreover, if one is yet to reach the final goal in terms of Truth, dialogue with others can assist him in his search. About myself, I can say that although I am convinced about my faith when I listen to others’ points of view, I do so with an objective mind and learn useful and good things from them. This attitude of mine has been greatly beneficial for me. It has greatly helped me grow in my understanding. So, even though you may feel your belief system is true, it does not mean you should ignore or be blind to the good things many other belief systems contain. On the contrary, one should be open to learning and benefitting from others