Is interfaith a waste of time?

Interfaith relations, like motherhood, and apple pie, are difficult to oppose. But their appeal is much more limited. Almost everyone can understand the appeal of delicious pies, and even parenthood. The appeal of listening to other people talking about their relationship with God is less obvious. Even believers generally prefer to disagree with people who are more or less the same; it's often said that the people who like interfaith relationships have more in common with each other than with other members of their own faiths. Yet it is obvious that they are also essential. The world is too small, and faiths are too large, for everyone to persist in comfortable isolation. Even toleraton may not be enough. The different religions, and even atheisms, must learn to co-operate and appreciate each others' strengths if they can. But how can this be done? How can we move from theory into practice? And even if we do find that the nice and serious people of every faith and none can respect each other, what does this do about the problem of nasty people of every faith, who are the ones that we really worry about?