Friendship, bottom line of dialogue

In this column I use the word “dialogue” as a process of interaction among religious leaders. We call this verbal sharing with the words “interfaith dialogue”.

Now, when these religious leaders ‎engaged in dialogue are followers of Christian faith, be it Catholic or Protestant, we call the encounter “ecumenical dialogue”. When these Christian leaders engage in dialogue with other leaders of non-Christian faiths like Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism or Islam, etc., their interaction is called “interreligious dialogue”.

When I use the word “bottom line”, I am referring to the most important effect or result of dialogue‎ which is human friendship. This effect is considered not just important but also lasting. This is the meaning of the expression, “they disagree without becoming disagreeable” or “they lost the arguments but won as friends”.

Peace talks or peace negotiations can only take place through dialogue. But this is not interfaith, interreligious or ecumenical. Their main topic is politics and governance although individually they belong to different faith communities‎.

It should be known that formal interfaith dialogues have been going on for years now between the Catholic Church and Jews, Muslims, Anglicans, Methodists, World Council of Churches, Christian Global Forum, etc.

Here in Mindanao the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) has been in interfaith dialogue for almost 20 years. (29 November 1996–29 November 2016). It is a unique group and perhaps the only group in the whole world whose dialogue is both interreligious and ecumenical. It is composed of Catholic bishops, Muslim ulama and Protestant bishops and pastors.

The interfaith dialogue of the BUC slowed down during the watch of BSAquino III who ignored it completely for 6 years… Now the Duterte Government has requested the reactivation of the BUC assuring it of support because it can help in the promotion of the culture of peace and continue its program of interfaith understanding, collaboration, and friendship through dialogue among Christians and Muslims in Mindanao.