Dialogue Within And Between Religious Groups Flashcards
Exclusivism
Only one religion is true and all others are false
Salvation is only possible through faith in Jesus
Non-christians or other denominations will be destined to hell/not heaven
Inclusivism
Christianity is the only true religion, but non-Christians can go to heaven
Anonymous Christian - behaves ethically like a Christian without being a Christian
Arguments against exclusivism
God is omnibenevolent, wouldn’t give salvation to only Christians
People who lived before Jesus could not have been saved, yet the Bible says they were
God is fair and won’t condemn people who have not heard of Jesus
Arguments against inclusivism
It’s just a form of exclusivism
Still has the vibe that Christianity is the one true religion
Doesn’t take other religions seriously
Pluralism
Belief that God reveals himself through all religions
Christianity is one of many valid responses to God
John Hick
To prove pluralism, John Hick said that all major faiths have two things in common
None can prove that it is the one and only true religion
Individuals of all faiths have experiences they say come from God
Arguments against pluralism
Ignores genuine differences between religions
Religions actually contradict each other so they cannot be different versions of the same truth
Religious followers hold their beliefs to be completely true, not somewhat true
Ecumenicalism
Unifying the Christian Churches
Christian Churches cooperating in worship and working together to serve humanity
Arguments against ecumenicalism
Exclusivist find it hard to accept other denominations as equals
Some Churches prefer to stay distinct
Some Churches are concerned ecumenicalism will make them less distinct from other Christian groups
Aims of interfaith dialogue
Enabling members of different faiths to form friendships
Learn about each others beliefs
Promote multi faith events in local communities
Proselytisation
An extreme form of evangelism that usually involves an invasion of privacy and lack of respect for views already held
Atheists
Believe there is no God
Agnostics
Believe it is impossible to know if God exists
Secularists
Believe that everyone has the right to freedom of belief
Religion should not have special status, or receive special treatment by the State
