How To Have A Fruitful Inter Religious Dialogue

Every religion makes truth claims. Proving or at least defending these truth claims is required if the religion is to be taken seriously. One cannot normally use the scientific method for proving or defending religious truth claims, because the claims extend beyond the reach of the material science’s inquiry. Nevertheless, these areas that lie beyond the scope of the empirical sciences are not beyond exploration. One can study the historical, moral, philosophical, therapeutic, and social aspects of any religion to compare and contrast against the religion’s claims.

We can inquire into the formation of the religion.

• We can investigate the major events that created the religion.
• We can inquire into the morality of its formation.
• We can inquire to see if there was deceit, bloodshed, in its formation, and if so whose deceit and blood was shed?
• We can trace the religion’s track record regarding life, and goodness?

We can inquire into the theological claims of the religion, and check them with real history to see the consequences of their outworking.

We can inquire into the lives of the saints of a particular faith. 

Does the religion really produce holy persons and if who, and how?

Are there sects, and if so, how many, how did they come into being, and how do they vary in their beliefs and practices?

These topics are much more appropriate and productive when we dialogue about any particular religion.