All Comments (4)

Rabbi Lustig, I am moved by your eloquent and powerful words: “How we act in this world is central to all three faiths; the philosophical and theological tenets of the faith are meaningless unless they are demonstrated in daily life. How we treat each other as human beings, all children of one God “created in the Divine image” is more important to Judaism, Christianity and Islam than what is written in our sacred books or professed by our clerics.”

We use up our spiritual and intellectual energy in mastering belief but when it comes to translating them into action in the midst of the inevitable demands and conflicts of life, we falter. Yet there is hope in striving, in at least being aware of the moral compass within us, and if Jews, Christians and Muslims can converse with one other without judgment and with respect, surely we can surmount any difficulty between us. My family and I always make it a point to invite our Jewish and Christian friends into our homes on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr (Feast of breaking Fast) that follows the end of Ramadan and guess what I have found: sharing a meal always, always, makes theological differences irrelevant.

Rabbi Lustig -- Yes, it does appear that each religion shares an anthropomorphic monotheism with the others. Many Christians, however, appear to believe that (1) we can "know" what happens after we die, (2) we can ensure salvation while we are still alive, (3) we obtain salvation only by accepting Jesus as the messiah, and that (4) rejecting Jesus means that you won't be saved. How can Jews and Muslims have an interfaith dialogue with people whose fundamental belief is that you're going to hell if you don't accept their messiah? Have any Christian leaders told you that they really don't believe that Jesus is the only true path? Until Christianity rejects its "only true path" doctrine, I don't think interfaith dialogue is going to be helpful.

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