Rabbi: no faith in interfaith

JUST how valuable is it to engage in interfaith dialogue? According to outspoken Canadian Rabbi Immanuel Schochet, the practical benefits are limited and there may also be religious restrictions to consider.

Speaking to The AJN ahead of his trip to Australia, where he will be a guest of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria and also address other organisations, Rabbi Schochet said: “On the one hand, there are serious halachic problems with interfaith dialogue, that is, exchanging theological views of mutually exclusive religions,” he said.
If it is worthwhile, he explained, it is only to aid cooperation on matters of joint concern.

“Interfaith theological dialogue may be a nicely entertaining exercise for some, but serves absolutely no practical purpose,” he said.
The doctor in philosophy listed two reasons why he believes interfaith dialogue is counter-productive.

“The best it could aim for is to find lowest common denominators between different religions, which undermines all of them,” he said.
Secondly, it misses the point that by its nature dialogue seeks: understanding and respect.

“For one thing, it is impossible to dialogue with all religions in the world,” he said. “Secondly, you may not understand where the other side is coming from as its perspective is completely different than anything you have encountered; [it is] like talking in two different languages.

“Most important of all, why must I first understand the other person’s beliefs and background in order to accept and respect the other person’s humanity, which is essentially exactly the same as my own?”

Asked the age-old questions of whether we should worry more about rifts between Jews — for example building respect between the Orthodox and Progressive communities — than interfaith dialogue, Rabbi Schochet said disagreements are not a negative thing.

“Religious, political and philosophical differences and arguments, which are in principle unavoidable, are to be welcomed and should be pursued to establish truth and reality as much as humanly possible,” he said.

Speaking on another hot community topic — the response to a fringe group of Jewish people who believe the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the Messiah — Rabbi Schochet said the debate over whether the Messiah has come is as old as mankind.

“I don’t see any issues except for those created by parties interested in stoking fires of controversy for ulterior purposes non-related to the philosophical intricacies of messianism in Judaism,” he said.

The Chabad Lubavitch leader said the Rebbe’s true message was one of unity.

NAOMI LEVIN

PHOTO: Rabbi Immanuel Schochet will visit Australia as a guest of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria