GUIDELINES FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

by
Joseph Kenny, O.P.
and Frederic Ntedika Mvumbi, O.P.

Published in J. Kenny, O.P. (ed.), Training for interreligious dialogue,
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, Interreligions Dialogue Commission, Regional Seminar, Agbarho, 27-30 May 2003.


Vatican II: "Declaration on Religious Liberty" (Kenny)

The fundamental condition for any religious dialogue is religious liberty. That is because dialogue demands equality on the level of discussion. One may be superior or inferior in different respects, but both must have the same civil rights if they are to talk freely with one another. A discussion where one of the parties is intimidated by the other is no true discussion. Yet advocating civil equality of religions is not the same as advocating that religions are all equal, as Vatican II states:

The obligation of conscience to follow the truth

The Sacred Council begins by professing that God himself has made known to the human race how men by serving him can be saved and reach happiness in Christ. We believe that this one true religion continues to exist in the Catholic and Apostolic Church, to which the Lord Jesus entrusted the task of spreading it among all men when he said to the apostles: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:19-20). All men are bound to seek the truth, especially in what concerns and his Church, and to embrace it and hold on to it as they come to know it.

The sacred Council likewise proclaims that these obligations bind man's conscience. Truth can impose itself on the mind of man only in virtue of its own truth, which wins over the mind with both gentleness and power. So while the religious freedom which men demand in fulfilling their obligation to worship God has to do with freedom from coercion in civil society, it leaves intact the traditional Catholic teaching on the moral duty of individuals and societies towards the true religion and the one Church of Christ. Furthermore, in dealing with this question of liberty the Council intends to develop the teaching of recent popes on the inviolable rights of the human person and on the constitutional order of society.

Yet religious liberty, even with bad conscience, is a civil right

The argument for religious liberty can be summarized as follows: Compulsion may never be used to make people profess or repudiate any religion or to prevent them from joining or leaving a religious body, even if they fail honestly to seek the truth:

Other points that this document makes about religious liberty are:

Religious freedom and religious liberty, it may be noted, are equivalent terms. The two go beyond religious tolerance/toleration, which implies first that what is tolerated is evil, wrong or erroneous, and secondly that the tolerating party is more powerful and benignly offers the weaker party toleration.

Islamic ambivalence (Mvumbi)

I would have loved to title my paper "Muslim ambivalence" but my discussion is specifically about Islamic theology, not Muslims, in as much as many Muslims have abandoned the ambiguous attitude that we propose to point out. However, we cannot neglect the position of certain Muslims, especially when they are not condemned by Muslim authorities.

Many people, especially those who study Islam and visit some of the Muslim countries, have hoped to get the true image of Islam or its true identity, but they meet an ambivalent attitude, because the Islam they meet is simultaneously attractive and repulsive. Meanwhile, as we can notice in many fruitful encounters, it is important, if not imperative, to know the truth about our partner; in this case, every Muslim is our partner. It was in the context of strong dispute both on the origin of Jesus and his self testimony that John wrote: "And you shall know the truth; and the truth shall set you free" (Jn 8:32). The truth about Jesus, known and attested by both Christians and Muslims, is founded on Jesus who is peace and preached peace. Whoever contradicts this ideal is no worthy to be called Christian.

Someone may quickly assert that Islam has no definite stand, given the fact that it appears sometimes positive and sometimes negative, sometimes peaceful and sometimes violent ; this ambivalence goes back to the time of Muhammad, so that it seems to be the permanent status of Islam. Violence appears endemic, if not essential, to Islam. Let us look at this ambivalence in three different areas, with reference to the Qur'an.

As a matter of fact, Islam begins in and with the Qur'an; thus there is no Islam without the Qur'an. There can be no serious study of anything pertaining to Islam without referring first and foremost to the Book that was revealed to Muhammad over more than two decades (610 to 632). The Qur'an is almost what is Christ in Christianity. In spite of the divisions and numerous tendencies found within Islam, the Qur`an remains the cornerstone of Muslim, both orthodox and unorthodox. The Qur'an guides the total and integral life of the Muslims. Moreover, the Qur'an is the first source to which Muslims turn to justify their stance. Wilfred C. Smith comments:

To study the Qur'an... is to study much more that its texts; and much more of social conditions than those that preceded its appearance in history and contributed to its formation...It is because of what the Qur'an has been doing, mightily and continually, in the life of men for all these centuries after it was launched, that anyone takes the trouble to notice its launching at all...The Qur'an is significant not primarily because of what historically went into it but because of what historically has come out of it; what it has done to men's lives, and what men have done to it and with it and through it.1

Though Qur'anic studies have led scholars to divergent interpretations within Islam, the value of the al-kitâb cannot be underestimated; its role cannot be overlooked. The Qur'an is very important in this study because of what it has done to men's lives.

The mercy of God

Two specific attributes manifest God's mercy in the Qur'an: Rahmân and Rahîm. These inseparable concepts express both the essence and the existence of God's mercy, especially when they are pronounced in Arabic.2 They therefore signify his being as he is himself and as he is in relation with created beings. In other word, Islam teaches that God is not only merciful but also shows mercy to all men and women. These attributes are so important that they are found at the beginning of every sura except sura 9. Because of his love, he forgives and has compassion (2:109, 4:48, 7:199).

Similarly, the same mercy God urges Muslims to fight those who do nor share the same faith with them. It is even said in sura 2:216 that fighting is prescribed except during the month of Ramadan. In Sûra 2, 178, vengeance is taken as part of the law of equality. In the case of murder, Muslims are allowed to kill a free man for a free man, a slave for a slave and a woman for a woman. Moreover, the life of the founder is loaded with raids and unmerciful battles. Ibn-Ishaq's Sîrat Rasûl Allâh reports them as acts of bravery.

Justice

It is right to note that the Qur'an recommends Justice as a virtue in order to judge with fairness. If someone wants to judge, let him judge and stand firm for justice. Commenting on Sûra 4:135, Yusuf Ali said: " But Islamic Justice is something higher than the formal justice of the Roman Law or any other human law. It is even more penetrative than the subtler justice in the speculations of the Greek philosophers. It searches out the innermost motives because we are to act as in the presence of God; to him all things, acts and motives are known."

Therefore, in submission to the will of Allah who is just, all Muslims should or ought to be just at all times and in all their actions. I think that advocating for freedom of religion or accepting that the truth can be found elsewhere than in my house is a great act of Justice. Unfortunately, the Qur'an is very strict when it says that Religion is Islam and nothing else: "The Religion before God is Islam.." (3:19). In other words, true believers or those to be saved are solely the Muslims. Meanwhile Sûra 2:62 says that those who follow the Qur'an and those who follow the Jewish Scriptures and the Christians shall have their reward with their Lord.

Violence

It is commonly accepted that the whole of humanity yearns for peace, desires it and struggles for its establishment. But we find violence in all its ramifications in Islam. When all living faiths have one basic claim which is peace, many Muslims willingly labor for violence. It is curious to note that both those Muslims who engage in fights as well as those who quench fights, claim to work for peace. Errare humanum est, sed perseverare est diabolicum. This means that to make mistakes is human but to persevere in mistakes is evil. Many Muslims persist in conducting unnecessary atrocities without being condemned by their leaders.

This phenomenon observed among many Muslims has become a subject matter, especially when Christians of our countries, Nigeria for instance, are threatened, lose their properties and shed blood. Muslims have been behaving in a way that disturbs both the Muslim and the non-Muslim societies. They justify their conduct by calling on Allah as the one who recommends it. Therefore, they have constituted almost in the five continents groups that uphold violent and barbarous practices and have refused to welcome modern ideas such as freedom, justice and peace.

There is no doubt that Allah is the true God who created the visible as well as the invisible world (Q. 7:54); he created the world for just ends (Q.15:85); He is the Creator of man (Q. 96:2); He is Rahmân and Rahîm. And Muslims are those who submit to the Creator and merciful God. However, since violence is the opposite of mercy and Muslims fail to show mercy and communicate God's goodness, some Christians wonder whether Allah is really God. Thomas Aquinas says:

It is fitting, therefore, that God's divine goodness should be communicated to creatures in both ways — as it contains all perfections in itself and as it flows into things — so that because of this goodness created things not only would exist and possess goodness but also would give existence and goodness to other things.3

Now should we believe that Allah commands violence and rejoices when his people undergo unnecessary pains and sufferings? How can we give a religious justification to these atrocities when we remember that Islam claims to be a religion of peace? Does violence work for peace? We do not propose answers to these questions but call on all believers to meditate on the interpretation and understanding of some Qur'anic statements such as "wa-qâtilû fî sabîl Allâh al-ladhîna yuqâtilûnakum wa-lâ ta`tadû. Inn-Allâha lâ yuhibbu l-mu`tadîn" (2:190 "Fight for the sake of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Allah does not love tra sgressors.") and fa-l-yuqâtil fî sabîl Allâh aladhîna yashrûna-l-hayâta-l-dunyâ bi-l-âkhirat wa-man yuqâtil fî sabîli-l-Allâh fa-yuqtal aw yaghlib fa-sawfa nu`tîhi ajran `azîman"(4:74 "Let him fight for the sake of Allah those who purchase this life at the cost of the next. Whoever fights for the sake of Allah, whether he is killed or is victorious, we will give him a great reward."). Everything depends on how one apprehends God and war. Two propositions emerge from these two concepts, namely "God of war" and "wars of God". Commenting on both assertions, Francis Gonsalves wrote:

The image of the God of war, however, is tempered by that of God who seeks to exterminate violence (Gen 6:13), detests violence (Mal 2:16) and those who love violence (Ps 11,5) rejects the offering of the violent (Mal 1:13), warns the violent and grievous consequences (Ezek 12:19), saves from violence (2 Sam 22:3), condemns violence through the words of his prophets (Jer 22,17), and proclaims that violence will be no more (Is 60,18).4

He continued:

Ironically, history bears a burden of blood in God's name! Wars of God or wars of religions is a contradiction in terms, an absurdity! for, would the God of life and love, Creator and Sustainer of life, require human beings to embark upon suicidal holocausts, to spread darkness, division, death and to create chaos out of the cosmos?5

Conclusion

This ambivalent attitude may not be peculiar to Islam because it could also be found in other religions. As soon as Christians and others of good will condemn the Muslims who resort to violence in the name of God, justifying themselves by referring to the Qur'an and the life of Muhammad, we are quickly told that the Bible (the Old Testament) and Christian history are filled with violence.

This could be right, but in Catholicism we have a Magisterium which warns against and condemns some of our attitudes. It is like a railing preventing me from falling when passing over a bridge. I know that moral theology allows as well as forbids a different actions. It is unfortunate that Islam has no central authority that can make a sound statement in the name of all Muslims. As a matter of fact, apart from some Muslim individual statements made against terrorism, we have not had a solemn statement from a single Muslim authority anywhere issuing a fatwâ declaring the 19 terrorists of September 11 to be kâfirs or apostates for disobeying the Qur'an and Allah.6 We cannot talk about peace in Islam or claim that Islam is a religion of peace when the principles of peace are violated in so many Muslims' interpretation of the Qur'an and the life of the Founder, Muhammad.

Salvation of non-Christians (Kenny)

Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologiae, II-II, question 2, article 7, raises the question whether those who never heard the Gospel can be saved, and explains that they can, if they have implicit faith through believing in divine providence, since they believed that God would deliver mankind in whatever way was pleasing to Him, and according to the revelation of the Spirit to those who knew the truth," People who believe in Christ in this implicit way really belong to the New Testament.7

St. Thomas explains more explicitly how that can happen when he asks whether someone in a state of original sin can commit a venial sin without committing a mortal sin. He says no, since "once a man has come to the age of being able to reason... the first thing he can think about is his own condition. If he turns his will to the right purpose of life, grace comes in and removes original sin; otherwise he sins mortally" (I-II, 89:6). Knowledge of the "right purpose" supposes an implicit faith in Christ.

Vatican II & John Paul II

Vatican II (Lumen Gentium) clearly says that "Those who for no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their action to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience those too may achieve eternal salvation."8

This was further explained in Gaudium et spes, n. 22:

By his incarnation the son of God has in a certain way united himself with each man... This holds true not for Christians only but also for all men of good will in whose hearts grace is active invisibly. For since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery.9

Speaking to the Cardinals and the Curia after a religious gathering at Assisi, John-Paul II repeated certain points:

There is only one divine plan for every person who comes into this world... Since there is no man or woman who does not bear the sign of a divine origin, likewise no person can remain outside or on the fringe of the work of Jesus Christ, "who died for all" and is thus "the Saviour of the world" (Jn 4:42). "We must therefore hold that the Holy Spirit gives to all, in a way that God knows, the possibility of being associated with the Paschal mystery." (Gaudium et spes, 22).

Then the Pope applies these principles to the situation of religious pluralism:

People can often be unaware of their radical unity of origin, and of their destiny and inclusion in God=s own plan. While they profess different religions which are incompatible with one another they can think that their divisions are insurmountable. But in spite of that they are included in the great and unique plan of God in Jesus Christ, who "in some way is united to all people" (Gaudium & spes, 22), even if they are not conscious of this.10

Again, in Redemptoris missio, John-Paul II says:

The universality of salvation does not mean that it is given only to those who believe explicitly in Christ and have joined the Church. If salvation is meant for all, it must be offered concretely to all... For them the salvation of Christ is available by means of a grace which, while relating them mysteriously to the Church, does not bring them into it formally, but enlightens them in a manner adapted to their state of spirit and their way of life (n. 10).

This way of looking at the question sees the influence of Christ on all, from the beginning of the world to its end, "when Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father... so that God may be all in all" (1 Cor 15:24,28).11

Recognition of values in non-Christian religions (Mvumbi)

A critical mind will not overlook the many good principles, doctrines and practices that make up Islam and the Muslims, especially when men and women are drawing more closely together and that the bonds of friendship between different peoples are being strengthened.12 If the bond of partnership with the Muslims is to be fostered more than ever before, Christians have to acknowledge, in the light of Vatican II Council, whatever could be praised in Islam and in the life of our brothers and sisters the Muslims. Christians should try to collaborate with Muslims on the basis of these values in building this world — our world, this country, our country — and in fostering unity and charity among individuals.

History, which cannot be neglected, records many quarrels and dissensions that have created wounds on both sides. Many contacts between Christianity and Islam have not been so friendly.13 Both sides need to come out of the negative legacy of history and begin a new era, founded on a fresh reference to the basic values of each religion.

Among those major points underlined in Nostra Aetate 3, the first is the worship of God. There is no doubt that Muslims worship one God (Lâ ilâha illâ llâh, 2:163) who lives and reigns over the universe. The existence of God and his oneness in Islam are a priori facts that stand as basic principles of Islamic doctrine. These mighty truths go straight against idolatry and polytheism. None, including Muhammad, has the right to be worshiped but Allah.14 Muslims proclaim these truths urbi et orbi. Again God is merciful and shows mercy; he is the Creator of heaven and earth (7:54). He sent prophets in order to reveal his being and his will to mankind, to warn and direct the people he created out of his free will. He is a God who accepts repentance and forgives (42:25). He is mighty and all knowing.

The second is about man's response to God. Before God, only one attitude is allowed in the entire Islamdom. Following the footstep of Abraham, Muslims are called to submit themselves to the God's will. Many are really submitted to God's decrees through their religious practices — for instance prayer, fasting and charitable works or alms-giving.

Thirdly, Muslims will not blaspheme the name of Jesus, for they venerate him as a prophet and even counted among the four Rusul, namely Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad. Furthermore, they honor his Mother as Virgin and sometimes devoutly invoke her.

Fourthly, they firmly believe in a number of truths of Christian Creed such as the day of judgement, reward from God, the resurrection of the dead.

Countless aspects of moral life could be added:

  1. Those who are familiar with the Muslim Prayer will know that Muslim readiness for prayer and the discipline observed during prayer cannot be emphasized.
  2. Keeping laws sometimes blindly is one of the principles that nourish their submission to God and their authorities.
  3. The respect of the Scriptures -the Qur'an and then the zeal to know it by heart.
  4. Boldness in prayer is a very explicit expression of their faith.
  5. Though divorce is permitted, it is the must horrible thing in Islam.
  6. Chastity is stressed.
  7. Marriage, in Islam is very important to the extend that a married person is considered to have fulfilled half of religion.
  8. Marriage is regarded as an act of worship of God. Therefore the purpose of marriage goes beyond the satisfaction of lust, the company of a spouse who cares and looks for ones' needs or even the establishment of a family and the growing up children. It is an implementation of God's will on earth.
  9. Concerning the manner of dressing, Muhammad cursed men who assume the manners of women and women who assume the manners of men.
  10. The openness of many Muslim authorities. I witnessed an encounter of great delegations from both sides. The Pope John Paul II with Roman officials met with Sheik Tantawi (the great Imam of Al-Azhar university in Cairo) with his cabinet. The discussion zeroed in on the dialogue of religions.

This high regard of the Church toward Muslims has continued to be manifested in subsequent encounters between the Church and many Muslim communities.

NOTES

1. Quoted by Willem A. Bijlefeld, Islamic studies within the perspective of the History of Religions in Muslim World, vol.62, January, 1972, p. 5.

2. Concerning these two attributes, Yusuf Ali comments that the Arabic extensive is more suited to express God’s attributes than the superlative degree in English. Cf. Note 9 of the Holy Qur’an. Translation and commentary by Yusuf Ali.

3. St Thomas Aquinas, On Truth, q. 1, a. 8.

4. Gonsalves,f. Gods of war and wars of God. Religions and violence in contemporary society in Yearbook of Contextual theologies (London: Hestellung, 1994), p.38.

5. Ibid., p. 42.

6. Cf. The Times, Thursday January,17, 2002.

7. Ibid., I-II, 106:1, ad 3, 107:1, ad 2.

8. Lumen Gentium, n.16.

9. A.A.S. 58 (1966), 1042-3. Other important texts are Lumen Gentium, n.16, Ad Gentes, n.11 and Nostra aetate.

10. B.S.N.C., 64 (1987), 62-70, esp. 64-5.

11. Cf. M. Fitzgerald, "Mission and dialogue: reflections in the light of Assisi 1986", B.S.N.C., 68 (1988), 113-120, esp. 114.

12. Nostra Aetate, Vat II, no.1.

13. Seyyed Hossen Nasr, Islamic life and thought (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1981), p. 31.

14. Sahih Bukhari, on the Book of Dress.