Different Faiths, Shared Humanity: Finding Common Ground

In my classroom, students from several faiths — and none — sit side by side. The most productive discussions never begin with "we all believe the same thing." They begin with "help me understand what you believe."

Honest difference

Traditions make different claims about God, revelation and salvation. Respect does not mean blurring these. It means describing another person's faith in terms they would recognise, before deciding what we think of it.

Shared ground that is not shallow

And yet the common ground is not shallow. Hospitality to the stranger, care for the orphan and the widow, honesty in trade, the dignity of the human person: these appear again and again, in scriptures written centuries and continents apart.

We do not need to agree on heaven to agree on how to treat our neighbour.

What dialogue makes possible

Dialogue makes it harder to dehumanise. It is very difficult to believe propaganda about a community once you have shared a meal with its members. That is why those who profit from division so often work to keep us apart.