One of the most unacknowledged problems we can face in business, as in society more broadly, is how the dark side of religious diversity in the workplace can play out in subtle and divisive ways. What I have in mind is any form of extremism, privately held, and its potential impact on the culture of an organization. Religious diversity in itself can be a wonderful thing, as we benefit from the various perspectives of good people who see life as shot through with the sacred, and treat others as inherently and eternally valuable. But there are extremists in nearly every tradition who view the world very differently from many who may fly the same general banner. And their divisive views, based on ancient struggles, can intrude into our best efforts in unfortunate ways.
The solution is as simple as it is difficult. Every mature religion needs hermeneutical principles, or rules of interpretation for their holy texts and practices, based on their highest and clearest spiritual and moral insights. We've always had our treasures in earthen vessels, and we need to grasp what that means. Otherwise, we'll never get past the terrible blight of tribalism.
