You can get a 7 minute audio version of this article: send email to audio at cbstudio dot biz  with “Would You Discriminate” in the subject line)

It’s a natural instinct we humans have. All societies have people who feel a need to separate themselves from others based on religion, race, ethnicity, educational achievement, social status, maybe sometimes personal accomplishments, wealth and so on.

We hear sometimes of a young girl from a rich home being forbidden to continue seeing a handsome but jobless boyfriend she claims to love. Then you have those people who subtly discriminate against people of other races they consider inferior. They refuse to relate with them as equals – and won’t even share the same table with them.

And then we have people who discriminate based on religion. For instance, I’ve heard some people claim if a person won’t accept their religion, s/he will not be worthy of being associated with them!

There are those who feel they must not associate with others who are not as well schooled as they are. So they tactfully establish what qualifications people they meet have, and use that to filter out those they feel might be sources of “potential embarrassment “ in their own social circles. God forbid they be found relating with unlettered persons or school dropouts!

That’s a shame really.

Why (& How) Discriminating Unfairly Can Hurt You

Now, I’m sure nothing that I’ve said here is new to you. And I’ve seen it happen again and again. I’ve actually found out that some people don’t even know they’re doing it. And others don’t even think it’s wrong.

Let me tell you why discriminating against others in this manner, can actually end up costing you (and even your loved ones) very painfully and expensively.

I’ll use a simple analogy. A perspective that gives us a powerful reminder that we are all the same, under all our clothing, outside the material resources we’ve acquired. We are all just flesh and blood – the same before our creator.

What I’m about to describe – the analogy I’m about to use, is something that is real, and can actually happen. There’s a real possibility it can happen. We have heard stories that are very similar to it.

Imagine you’re traveling on a ship with your daughter across the ocean to a holiday destination. Then you notice as you come on to the ship, a hefty looking but very badly dressed guy who has tattoos all over his arms and neck, and a ring in his nose. As you walk past him, you catch a whiff of  stale sweat oozing from him. He’s sitting alone in a corner, and apparently others have done what you did – just walked past quickly. You hear others whispering that the Captain let him on when he showed identification, explaining that he had been robbed, had no money and was trying to get back home.

As you stare at him, your 3 year old daughter innocently waves at him. He looks at you and says “You have a lovely daughter”. Without saying anything, you hurriedly look away, grab your daughter by the arm, and walk to the farthest end of the room. And as you seat your daughter down, you say sternly to her: “You stay away from that man, you hear!”

And the journey begins. Some hours into the trip, there’s some noise – some disturbance. And you hear some kind of uproar. And the captain announces:

“The ship has just been sabotaged and we’re sinking. We’ve also found out that the life boats have been damaged and everyone will have to swim to shore.”

Then he mentions that they’ll try and help those who are much weaker amongst the passengers. Of course they have limited hands to do that.

You cannot believe your ears. You feel the ship beginning to tilt as water rushes into the damaged underside. Other passengers are screaming, and you see some people already jumping into the sea and trying to make it to shore.

You look wildly around, call out to the ship’s personnel running past you. But none take notice. Suddenly, you notice the big, smelly tattooed guy, climbing up the side of the ship from inside the water. And as he gets into the ship, you hear the Captain thanking him for carrying an elderly passenger across to shore by swimming a distance of about a hundred meters.

He looks up at that point, and sees you and your daughter standing, looking helpess, and he walks over immediately, saying:

“Let me help you – I can carry your daughter across. We don’t have much time,. The ship is going under any moment now.”

What Would You Do At This Point?

Would you tell your daughter to “stay away from him” again? Or would you let him help you? In other words, would you feel “safe” discriminating against him under this situation where the life of