Catholicism and Islam: Needed Dialogue for Peace

This statement was released at the conclusion of the colloquium between the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Center for Interreligious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization. The group discussed the theme of faith and reason in Christianity and Islam. The participants agreed upon the following:

1. Faith and reason are both gifts of God to mankind.

2. Faith and reason do not contradict each other, but faith might in some cases be above reason, but never against it.

3. Faith and reason are intrinsically non-violent. Neither reason nor faith should be used for violence; unfortunately, both of them have been sometimes misused to perpetrate violence. In any case, these events cannot question either reason or faith.

4. Both sides agreed to further co-operate in order to promote genuine religiosity, in particular spirituality, to encourage respect for symbols considered to be sacred and to promote moral values.

5. Christians and Muslims should go beyond tolerance, accepting differences, while remaining aware of commonalities and thanking God for them. They are called to mutual respect, thereby condemning derision of religious beliefs.

6. Generalization should be avoided when speaking of religions. Differences of confessions within Christianity and Islam, diversity of historical contexts are important factors to be considered.

7. Religious traditions cannot be judged on the basis of a single verse or a passage present in their respective holy Books. A holistic vision as well as an adequate hermeneutical method is necessary for a fair understanding of them.

My Thoughts: As someone with a very diverse group of friends, I think this is a vitally important engagement. The controversy that arose from Pope Benedict XVI's Regensburg lecture certainly brought about tension. This certainly wasn't the intention of the Holy Father who fundamentally asserted that faith and reason cannot contradict one another as both are endowed by God whom is the end of the search for truth and truth cannot self-contradict. Therefore, it possible for us to know that violence to spread religion goes against the nature of God.

The assertion that something "goes against the nature of God" is not a theological claim binding only on Catholics, but it is a philosophical claim and is binding on all humanity. Therefore, the Holy Father thinks that we can know something about God by unaided reason and such a reality is crucial. In an age of terrorism and violence, if we cannot know anything about God, if we cannot raise a moral flag and say something is objectively immoral because it violates some universal standard that we can all know then there is no hope for achieving peace. What right to life, to liberty, and to happiness do we have if there is no objective moral truths that dictates that we do?

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.