As we know, politics are increasingly dividing our communities and country. The resulting sense of separation can leave us feeling hopeless and alienated. An underlying cause of this division is our biases. Biases are defined as prejudicial tendencies. At their worst, these unfounded beliefs serve as a basis for our hostile feelings towards those we disagree with. Everyone has biases. Unfortunately, if left unchecked, they can prevent us from adjusting our thinking, especially when we receive information that favors those we inherently oppose.
To help us understand the effects of bias on our perceptions we have invited Dr Hedy Collver to speak with us. Dr Collver will explain how our biases form our preconceptions. Her presentation draws on the eBook by Brian McLaren called WHY DON’T THEY GET IT? Overcoming Bias in Others (and Yourself). Knowing the effects of bias on perspective and taking steps to manage them can help us become less critical and more compassionate. It can also help us to reframe our communications to avoid the most common obstacles to creating a shared understanding.
Join us this Friday at noon online for a talk about biases and what we can do to surmount them.
About Dr Collver
Dr Heather (Hedy) Collver is a Doctor of Ministry and Theological Studies. She is an Ordained minister in The United Methodist Church and the Executive Pastor at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, in Alexandria, Virginia. She received her Doctor of Ministry, in May 2016, from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC.
About Mr. McLaren
Brian D. McLaren is an internationally known speaker and the author of over ten highly acclaimed books on contemporary Christianity, including A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, and The Secret Message of Jesus.
ABOUT OUR MEETINGS
The Democrat Club meets each Friday at noon online. We distribute a Zoom link for our club meetings each Thursday prior to the meeting date. Contact Phil at pjwmia@aol.com or Ruben at rmiranda2265@gmail.com, to request the link or assistance connecting. We will return to in person/online meetings as soon as it becomes safe to do so. You can find videos of past Club meetings at KootenaiCountyDemClub.com/Meeting Videos.
