Time to Talk: Faiths at the table of Dialogue in Today’s UK
Report on IFN's 2003 National Meeting, looking at the importance of dialogue for overcoming prejudice and inherited myths.
Discussion between faiths – “dialogue” as it is often called – is sometimes dismissed as “just talking”. But talking is becoming daily more important. Social cooperation alone does not overcome inherited myths and prejudices about other faiths or untangle skeins of suspicion and fear. At a time when developments abroad have contributed to growing levels of antagonism and in some cases have led to attacks on places of worship and individuals, and at a time when extreme right wing organisations are exploiting potent and unpleasant images of particular religions to sow hatred and distrust, it was timely to focus at the Inter Faith Network’s 2003 National Meeting on the questions:
- Why is talking together – and listening to one another - so important?
- Who is talking with whom?
- How are prejudice and misunderstanding between faiths being tackled?
- What developments are taking place in inter religious dialogue here in the UK?
- What are the urgent questions on today’s agenda for inter faith dialogue?
- How can we, as members of our various historic faiths, enable the various vital dialogues to deepen and grow?
