The Diversity & Inclusion Blog

The Interfaith ERG promotes religious tolerance, understanding, and the promotion of our core values. The network enables people of all religions to come together and express their faiths in appropriate and meaningful ways in the workplace. It also explores the relationship of spirituality and patient care by enhancing communications among those who share a religious belief. The Interfaith ERG is co-chaired by Melissa Scher and Cecilia Vernes.

Do we view culture as a fluid concept, or are there rigid cultural norms deeply instilled within our societies? In the same way that religion seems strict and unyielding, culture can also seem like a concrete system of fixed meanings and symbols.[1] However, both culture and religion are endlessly shifting as people often change their outlooks due to certain political or social contexts. The word culture has origins from the word to “cultivate” or to grow, or care for. Thus to have a culture, to be cultural, is to adapt or grow into the customs of an acquired space.

If culture shapes the way we see the world, religion defines what the purpose of this world is for its adherents.[1] However, in modern discourse, these terms are used almost synonymously; so we must look at the origins and uses of both terms historically as well as today in order to gain a better understanding of both. Religion is often simply referred to as “the belief in or the worship of a god or gods.”[2] However, religion is two-pronged, consisting of both what people believe and also what people do.

Cultural sensitivity is increasingly important. However, to truly gain a better understanding of culture, we need to understand the role that religion plays in shaping culture, and vice versa. Both culture and religion are highly influenced by one another, and often cannot be fully separated.