HOW DOES THE DIALOGUE OF THEOLOGICAL EXCHANGE EMPOWER US TO LIVE BY THE GOLDEN RULE?

1) Theological Dialogue is a serious level of religious dialogue which revolves around making greater change. Experts, theologians and religious leaders come together to understand and develop a greater appreciation of each other’s spiritual values. Once mutual trust has been gained, this group of strong leaders can now use their strengths to tackle greater conflicts throughout the world.

2) This dialogue follows the Churches call to evangelizing gospel teachings with the rest of the world. Leaders around the globe become more aware and can develop a greater appreciation for the acts of Jesus Christ. They can now share their new understandings with their followers. This dialogue also follows our Ground Rules to Living, by providing a respectful environment for religious leaders to understand and work with the different faiths. Values such as mutual respect and inclusivity are followed, and when the leaders use their power to peacefully combat conflicts, we see the social teachings of option for the poor and vulnerable and solidarity.We remember we are one human family and can benefit from our differences rather than create conflict.

3) Theological Exchange is present in the Nostra Aetate document. Christian religious leaders have recognized the disunity and conflict that has come to the surface, mainly against the Jewish population. It is understood that we are all brothers and sisters and the Christian leaders respectfully published a document, attempting to tackle the difficult issues of anti-semitism and discrimination. Appreciation for our Jewish neighbours, as well as Buddhists and Hindus was recognized, promoting a world of solidarity and religious cohesion.

4) There are many specific examples in the Nostra Aetate that demonstrate the presence of Theological Exchange. The document directly targets the concept of discrimination, by saying that the Church does not support harassment over race, colour way of life or religion. The bitterness of the past is revisited in efforts to remind the Jewish population is part of our family. Another example is how the document shows understanding of different religions and their primary beliefs. The document recognizes the Islamic God, and respects how Muslims see Jesus not as a God, but a prophet. This shows that Christian leaders have put in the time and effort to develop an understanding of different religions, and they are eager to maintain harmony and coexist.

7) We mainly see examples of the Dialogue of Theological Exchange in our world when there is a global crisis. In times of despair, different religions work towards putting their differences aside, finding strength and numbers, and using their differences to solve the conflict. Religious leaders of different faiths understand how to effectively put their issues aside because they know that in times of conflict they would want to receive help and support. So, they work towards treating others the way they would want to be treated. By attempting to solve conflicts peacefully, leaders show they value other beings. This is an concept that they are working towards enforcing globally, not just between powerful leaders.

An examples of Theological Exchange dialogue in our world is the Catholic Bishops Conference of India and Religions for Peace. This event took place on February 12-13 2015, and the goal was to build a foundation for inter-religious peace building and train younger generations to overcome prejudice, study other religions and build solidarity. It was overall an opportunity for these leaders to spend time getting to know each other and devise a way to execute their global plan. It was overall a success!

5) I am not a religious leader, nor do I have the global influence to participate in serious intellectual dialogues, so I have not directly participated in this type of dialogue. However, I have participated in a theological exchange based petition that was run by a group of religious leaders.

6) In 2016 there was lots of controversy over the acceptance of Syrian refugees in Canada. Many people saw their primary Islamic religion as threatening and did not want to allow them entry into Canada. There was a petition created by a governmental organization, asking people who supported the immigration of Syrian refugees to sign. This was intended to raise numbers and awareness, so these Syrians could come to Canada for a better life. My parents are very passionate about this issue, and wanted to sign. I was too young to sign myself, but my parents valued my input and asked my if I supported. I understood the principles of the Golden Rule and I remembered learning about human dignity, so I told my parents that I supported them. We signed as a family. In 2016 almost 40 000 immigrants were welcomed into Canada, and I love to think that acts such as the ones of my family contributed to providing these people with a safe home.