28: Talking Politics and Religion Without Killing Each Other with Corey Nathan

02/16/22 • 50 min

Corey Nathan is the host of a podcast called Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other. His aim is to have a home for engaging conversations about the topics that matter most in our culture. He talks about the screamers that are taking all the oxygen out of the room, and instead he wants to have civil conversations that explore nuance and understand different points of view. In this episode, we do a deep dive into connecting across differences, and how to have human-to-human conversations with people whose beliefs might differ significantly from our own.

Highlights & Takeaways

You might still disagree with someone’s views, but you can understand and appreciate each other on a human level - lead with curiosity and empathy
Assumptions and generalizations often come in the question form of: “Why do all...?” For example, Corey grew up Jewish and became a Christian, and he has been asked: “Why do all you Jews vote Democrat?”
He defuses generalizations by saying: “I can’t speak for all Jews. We're all different. Some vote this way, some vote that way. So I'll speak for myself.” And he encourages others to re-examine their assumptions
Corey was met a lot of resistance and heated dialogues with his family after he converted to being a Christian, but it was his dad’s inclination to value their father-son relationship more than other cultural and political convictions that would allow them to cut through the weeds and walk the path together.
Focus on building relational rather than transactional connections: “The good news is you can nurture those relationships. You can earn that credibility and get into the room. There's more opportunity than ever. But if it's simply like banging the phones, dialing for dollars, it's just not going to happen.”
Find excuses to connect: “It amazes me to this day, how approachable and accessible all kinds of folks are at every level. If you have something to talk about, if you have points of common connection or a common cause. I'm not saying that everybody's going to get back to you, but it's going to be more than 1/100 or 2/100, if you approach it that way.”

Resources Mentioned

Contact Corey: Instagram | Twitter
Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

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Music by Meghan Rennie - Instagram / Soundcloud

Website: excusestoconnect.com

Email: [email protected]

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Highlights & Takeaways

You might still disagree with someone’s views, but you can understand and appreciate each other on a human level - lead with curiosity and empathy
Assumptions and generalizations often come in the question form of: “Why do all...?” For example, Corey grew up Jewish and became a Christian, and he has been asked: “Why do all you Jews vote Democrat?”
He defuses generalizations by saying: “I can’t speak for all Jews. We're all different. Some vote this way, some vote that way. So I'll speak for myself.” And he encourages others to re-examine their assumptions
Corey was met a lot of resistance and heated dialogues with his family after he converted to being a Christian, but it was his dad’s inclination to value their father-son relationship more than other cultural and political convictions that would allow them to cut through the weeds and walk the path together.
Focus on building relational rather than transactional connections: “The good news is you can nurture those relationships. You can earn that credibility and get into the room. There's more opportunity than ever. But if it's simply like banging the phones, dialing for dollars, it's just not going to happen.”
Find excuses to connect: “It amazes me to this day, how approachable and accessible all kinds of folks are at every level. If you have something to talk about, if you have points of common connection or a common cause. I'm not saying that everybody's going to get back to you, but it's going to be more than 1/100 or 2/100, if you approach it that way.”

Resources Mentioned

Contact Corey: Instagram | Twitter
Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

______

Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend and make sure to follow Excuses to Connect on Facebook and Instagram.

Music by Meghan Rennie - Instagram / Soundcloud

Website: excusestoconnect.com

Email: [email protected]

Leave a Voice Message: https://www.speakpipe.com/excusestoconnect

Support Me: Buy Me A Coffee

Previous Episode

27: Unleashing the Potential of Immigrants with Hyder Hassan

Hyder Hassan is the CEO of Immigrant Services Calgary. Immigrating from Pakistan in 1999, he had a one-liner about his dream in Canada. It was the line: "I want to create massive change within myself and others around me." Since then, he has been at the head of the innovative Gateway Program, which is transforming the newcomer experience, and also being highly involved in his community, including through Toastmasters, Rotary, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, among many other organizations. In this episode, we explore his 3 R's that are central to his worldview, the story of how he became the CEO of Immigrant Services Calgary, and his values when it comes to leadership and mentorship.

Highlights & Takeaways

In a healthy debate, one person can come with their Point A and the other person with Point B. But instead of arguing about who’s right, Hyder says there is a new Point C that both people can reach and that stimulates growth
What are your dreams? What are your goals? What are your priorities? These are the 3 questions that the innovative Gateway program asks to help newcomers with integrating into Canada quicker and more smoothly
The story of a newcomer from Nigeria who was asking how he could remove qualifications from his resume so that he appeared more “Canadian” - instead Hyder flipped the narrative and emphasized how immigrants are our future leaders and have all this potential that just needs to be unleashed
Trust-building comes from having the courage to own one’s failures, and also the ability to give and receive candid feedback. Hyder utilizes adaptive leadership to create a compelling vision and organizational culture that values clear communication
There are times when Hyder feels lonely when he makes calls as the CEO, but is being questioned and fingers are being pointed at home. In those moments, he calls his mentors who encourage him and provide him with valuable insight
“The kite always rises against the wind. And when you get to the top of the mountain, forgive the people that got you up there.”

Resources Mentioned

Contact Immigrant Services Calgary: Email | LinkedIn | Website
Gateway Connects
Immigrants of Distinction Awards

______

Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a friend and make sure to follow Excuses to Connect on Facebook and Instagram.

Music by Meghan Rennie - Instagram / Soundcloud

Website: excusestoconnect.com

Email: [email protected]
Leave a Voice Message: https://www.speakpipe.com/excusestoconnect

Support Me: Buy Me A Coffee

Next Episode

29: Leading a Limitless Life with Lionel Migrino

Lionel Migrino identifies himself as a Filipino-Canadian living with cerebral palsy. He is proud of his Filipino roots and to be a member of the disability community. In this episode, he emphasizes how he does not solely define himself as a person with a disability, because he lives his life without any limitations. His goal is to show people that your obstacles should not stop you from going on adventures and chasing your dreams. He is a photographer, anti-racism and disability advocate, and emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Highlights & Takeaways

Cerebral palsy impacts one’s fine motor skills, but it is also different for everyone and there’s many layers to it. It might just affect a particular group of muscles, or someone might be non-verbal, and so on.
Lionel points out that society often puts the disability community in a box, and leaves their voice out of important decision-making and policies. He is passionate about promoting equity and ensuring there is a voice for the voiceless.
The first step of being an ally is recognizing your own privilege and also not being afraid of being uncomfortable. People with disabilities live in an ableist world that is not made for them. “So why can’t others be uncomfortable for a few minutes to learn about another person’s experiences?”
His “Kwento’t Litrato” project compares and contrasts the experience that white people and racialized people have when asked the question: “Where are you from?” For racialized people, they can be asked this all the time and it’s a microaggression
“I think it’s so important that the voiceless are heard so that change can happen without being dehumanized, or sacrificed, or without negative implications.”
“Your voice is as important as everyone else, and we should embrace our uniqueness and differences. Don’t be afraid to be who you are and don’t be afraid to own it.”

Resources Mentioned