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Pluralism and Society - Coggle Diagram

- - - - They discuss meanings and interpretations of passages
        
        The goal is just to promote understanding and friendship
        
        Trying to convert others or criticise other religions is not allowed
        
        Initially it was just abrahamic religions (Chrisitianity, Judaism & Islam) but recently has branched out to include other religions too
        
        It was founded by David Ford (Anglican) and Peter Ochs (Jewish) among others
  - - - Criticising other religions and trying to convert them is part of religion
        
        If scriptural reasoning doesn’t allow that – then it’s not really fully allowing religious people to express themselves – so it’s not genuine dialogue
        
        For example, a Muslim will think that the New Testament is somewhat valid but mixed with error, for example. They would try and convert Christians as a result
        
        If they are not allowed to do that, by the rules of scriptural reasoning meetings, then people can’t express their whole true genuine faith in those meetings
        
        In that case, scriptural reasoning is actually just like the liberal approach to inter-faith dialogue
        
        It prevents the expression of faith to enable dialogue – but ends up not being genuine inter-faith dialogue and instead promoting relativism
- - - - Paul Eddy made arguments to the general synod of the Church of England, which prompted the creation of the ‘Sharing the Gospel of Salvation’ document
        
        Eddy complained that Christians were made to feel guilty for believing that Jesus is the way, truth and life. Secular liberals try and make exclusivist Christians feel guilty by calling them intolerant
        
        Conversion and proper interfaith dialogue is not possible because of this pressure
        
        Eddy insisted that Christians should not be made to feel guilty for being exclusivist – and they should try and convert others
        
        Eddy and Ratzinger would not approve of the scriptural reasoning approach for this reason
  - - - Religious intolerance and even violence has occured throughout history and still occurs around the world
        
        Religious people should therefore be made to feel guilty about being exclusivist, since that attitude causes social problems
- - - - He argues that actually it is positive – it is part of a free society that people should be free to try and convert others
        
        However, he emphasises that conversion must be done in a respectful way
        
        Missionaries must be respectful of people’s freedom of conscience
  - - - Pope John Paul II still has a conservative approach to interfaith dialogue however, since he says that the ultimate aim of dialogue is conversion
        
        Pope John Paul II would disagree with the scriptural reasoning approach to dialogue because it does not allow conversion
- - - - The document affirms that Jesus has a unique role to play in salvation
        
        The ‘highest calling’ of the Church is to proclaim Jesus
        
        Jesus is indeed the way, the truth and the life – so Christians should share their religion with others in the hope of converting them
        
        The document resulted from Paul Eddy’s address to the Synod where he called for the Church to affirm the importance of conversion
        
        The document notes how Eddy received widespread support from all different factions within the Church (of England)
        
        The document accept this, though it warns that conversion should be done in a respectful way
        
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  - - - They would point out that Christianity throughout history has spread itself by the sword – through violence
        
        Christianity is still currently benefiting from that history of forced conversion because it now has many colonised countries who are predominantly Christian – e.g. in Africa and south america
        
        The main reason these countries are currently mostly Christian is because they were forced to become Christian in the past
        
        That’s how Christianity currently still benefits from its history of forced conversion, even though it no longer engages in that
        
        So, if Christians really want to make up for an apologize for that history and encourage proper dialogue with others as true equals, they should stop trying to convert people completely