You're on a boat in the middle of the ocean. There are people around you in the water, struggling, drowning, looking for safety. Many try to come towards the boat.
What do you do?
Do you let them in?
The humanity in you says yes, save them all. The practicality in you says no, the boat isn't big enough for them all - it will capsize. And the rationality in you admits that you can't save them all, but can still try to save as many as possible.
I get it. It's not an easy decision, especially if the boat has your family members - it's a choice between saving yourself and your family while definitely letting many others drown, or letting them all in and possibly risk everyone drowning.
But I can't fathom how, in the midst of all that, you would let people of a certain religion in and not others. You would sit there on that boat, knowing you have let a whole bunch of people drown, only because they prayed in a way different from yours. Logic might have told you that you can only save a few, but it never said to do it on the basis of religion.
You say there are other boats around, doing the same. So why shouldn't you?
Because, in one of the proudest moments of our history, this country pledged to be better. To treat people equally, regardless of how others do it. To not discriminate on the basis of religion.
Yes, you have a decision to make. Not an easy one. People are drowning. You have a boat. Maybe you can't let everyone in. Maybe you need a way to figure out who gets on, and who doesn't.
But religion, cannot and should not, be the basis of that decision.
What do you do?
Do you let them in?
The humanity in you says yes, save them all. The practicality in you says no, the boat isn't big enough for them all - it will capsize. And the rationality in you admits that you can't save them all, but can still try to save as many as possible.
I get it. It's not an easy decision, especially if the boat has your family members - it's a choice between saving yourself and your family while definitely letting many others drown, or letting them all in and possibly risk everyone drowning.
But I can't fathom how, in the midst of all that, you would let people of a certain religion in and not others. You would sit there on that boat, knowing you have let a whole bunch of people drown, only because they prayed in a way different from yours. Logic might have told you that you can only save a few, but it never said to do it on the basis of religion.
You say there are other boats around, doing the same. So why shouldn't you?
Because, in one of the proudest moments of our history, this country pledged to be better. To treat people equally, regardless of how others do it. To not discriminate on the basis of religion.
Yes, you have a decision to make. Not an easy one. People are drowning. You have a boat. Maybe you can't let everyone in. Maybe you need a way to figure out who gets on, and who doesn't.
But religion, cannot and should not, be the basis of that decision.
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