2 minute read
NOTE FROM THE CEO
From the CEO
Why Can’t We All Get Along?
As we enter a new year, we’re all aware that our country seems more divided than ever. There’s an “us vs. them” mentality that makes it difficult for most, and impossible for many, to have honest and open conversations about important subjects.
Political polarization, fueled by social media echo chambers, is a major cause of this division and yet, a large body of research has proven that diversity creates more successful workplaces and more vibrant communities.
Why can’t we all get along? How can we find the common ground that should unite us all? We thought a good place to start might be a conversation with religious leaders.
We invited a Reverend, an Imam, a Rabbi, and a Buddhist teacher to the Growing Bolder offices for an interfaith roundtable to discuss the issues that are causing this division. We weren’t naive enough to think that we’d come up with any easy answers, but we were determined to ask some difficult questions. We wondered if organized religion is partly to blame given that all religions have their own version of the Golden Rule. All religions hold as fundamental belief the importance of compassion, kindness, and love for your neighbor and yet we live in a world in which religion has become something that divides us.
Why does it seem that hate is winning? They all agree that some members of all faiths interpret doctrine in ways that differ from the fundamental tenets of their religion. They all agree that organized religion needs some degree of transformation to remain relevant in today’s world. The growing number of religious “nones” — individuals who no longer identify with any particular religious tradition — underscores their concerns. According to PEW research, 30% of the U.S. population is now religiously unaffiliated, up from just 7% in 1972. Most of these “nones” maintain a sense of connection to something larger than themselves, but no longer follow an institutionalized set of beliefs and practices. They left the religion but kept the faith.
What can we do as individuals to help civility overcome the hostility that is dividing families and alienating friends? What can organized religion do to help create the beloved community that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned more than 50 years ago?
You’ll learn more about our revealing conversation with faith leaders in this issue of the Growing Bolder Digital Digest. And you can watch the entire roundtable on Growing Bolder.com/roundtable.
Here’s to a happy, healthy, and more unified New Year.
Season 2 airing NOW! Catch new episodes across Florida!
Hosted by award-winning broadcaster Marc Middleton, What’s Next! features a team of well-known Florida broadcasters and personalities, including Secily Wilson, Amy Sweezey, and Bill Shafer, all shining the spotlight on ordinary people living extraordinary lives.
What’s Next! is a jolt of inspiration that helps audiences of all ages believe that it’s never too late to pursue their passions and make a difference in their communities.
Watch all episodes at GrowingBolder.com/tv.
