The Interfaith Movement -- A Beautiful Antidote to What Ails Us

As Co-Founder and President of the Jewish-Islamic Dialogue Society of Washington (JIDS), I sometimes hear the question: “Is your organization part of the interfaith movement?”   The opposite way of asking the same question, albeit more provocatively, is: “Aren’t you guys just substituting one form of tribalism (Jewish solidarity or Muslim solidarity) for another (Jewish-and-Muslim solidarity)?” 

My glib response is “Oh yes, we consider ourselves part of the interfaith movement.  We always say that our organization serves three groups – Jews, Muslims and Allies.”  The addition of the word “Allies” is meant to suggest inclusivity, while also reminding people that there are plenty of folks that do not fall into those three categories.  But perhaps instead of being glib, I should offer a more complete answer to the question.   Let me take a stab at one –

I see the interfaith movement as a major antidote to what ails our society and our world.  But I don’t see interfaith as a way of erasing the existence of separate faiths.  In other words, I don’t see interfaith AS A MOVEMENT as a way of establishing a melting-pot culture; I still prefer the salad bowl metaphor, where there are cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, green peppers, etc., and we can appreciate the unique beauty of each of these elements, while also loving the result when they are combined together. 

For the interfaith movement to be successful, it must respect the “particular” as well as the “universal.”  It must acknowledge that same-faith activity, whether it involves ritual or study, can be extremely enriching.  After all, same-faith activities can be among the deepest explorations of spirituality, building on the fact that those who partake in these activities often share a common language, a common culture, and a common set of intellectual concerns.  We can ill afford to ignore these opportunities for depth of thought and emotion, for that is precisely what allows the religious project to compete for our attention in the 21^st century world.

So yes, we must celebrate the “particular.” But when this leads to an extreme form of “tribalism,” we have gone way too far.  Without the “universal,” religion can lead not only to tunnel vision, but even to violence.  We see this truism play out on the global stage on a daily basis – or should I say, we see the violent elements, and yet behind all that violence is an incredible amount of ignorance.  It’s the ignorance of not being intimately familiar with other cultures or other faiths, and without such intimate familiarity, we create a dangerous dichotomy.  Those who are not steeped in interfaith see their own culture/faith with rose-colored glasses and strawman the other cultures/faiths into something far less desirable.  (More specifically, they think of their own culture/faith in ideal terms, whereas the competing world views are conceived “realistically” in terms of how far they fall from any ideal.)  As a result, tribalists feel less of a need to venture out intellectually beyond their friendly confines and are often willing to write off the “other” – with potentially fatal or, at least unjust, consequences.

We need the universalism of the interfaith movement every bit as much as we need the depth of same-faith activities. 

So where does JIDS fit into the equation?  We attempt to provide the best of both worlds.  Judaism and Islam are in some respects eerily similar.  These are not merely examples of faiths that extol “ethical monotheism.”  These faiths share similar languages and rituals, interlocking cultures and histories, common stories/myths, and a profound iconoclasm when it comes to worship.  By making these two faiths the focus of our meetings, JIDS can summon many of the same depth advantages that I’ve discussed above in connection with same-faith activities. 

Yet JIDS is hardly conducive to tunnel vision; quite the contrary.  We’re all about lovingly and respectfully confronting the “other.”  In fact, JIDS has two overarching themes, both of which are universalistic.  First, we stress all human beings are cousins (members of the family of Adam and Eve), and Jews and Muslims, together with Christians, are the closest of cousins (members of the family of Abraham).  Second, we stress that enlightenment resides in embracing both the similarities and the differences among faiths/cultures.  To ignore or otherwise whitewash those differences is to create what I call “Kumbaya-Interfaith,” for which we at JIDS have no patience.  We prefer instead to recognize that our faiths have real differences, even conflicts, and they provide some of our best learning opportunities.  By understanding how Judaism differs from Islam and other faiths, I come to understand why I’m a Jew, but I also gather new, complementary tools that can be used to supplement my Judaism.

Ultimately, JIDS inspires me to learn more about Judaism, Islam, Christianity and, yes, other faiths as well.  Currently, I’m reading a book about the ancient roots of Hinduism and absolutely loving it.  Notably, before I came to JIDS, I saw Hinduism primarily as “polytheistic.”  Now, I see it primarily as “monotheistic” – just not as iconoclastically monotheistic as Judaism or Islam.  That’s a concrete example of how we can come to recognize both similarities and differences among faiths.

For those of you who have no interest in religion or spirituality, I’m not sure the interfaith movement would have much to offer.  You probably have to steep yourself in a faith to a significant degree in order to partake in this movement.  But for those of you who already have an interest in a particular faith, I can’t recommend the interfaith movement strongly enough.  Go find a group in your local area and see what it’s like.  If what they’re up to is “Kumbaya-Interfaith,” politely take your leave and start another group of your own – one that isn’t afraid to confront reality.  I did that nine years ago, and I’ve never for a second regretted it.

(For more info about JIDS, go to our website -- www.jids.org.)