T
he story is told of a ruler (okay if you must know it was a king) who decided to visit the local jail in his capital city. After speaking with each of the inmates he gave a surprising order: All were to be released immediately except for one. As word of the edict spread there was great rejoicing in the cells save for one whose hapless occupant demanded and was granted an audience with His Majesty.
“Your Highness” he implored “I simply don’t understand. Didn’t I pour out my heart to you about being an utterly innocent man who’d been cruelly framed? How could you?”
Said the king “But that’s precisely it. After your fellow prisoners contritely shared with me their many crimes I told myself it simply wouldn’t be fair for you to share their corrupting company any longer. I sent them away in order that you pure as the driven snow will no longer need to suffer their sullying influence.”
That’s what came to mind when a press release came my way informing me of a first-ever study of formerly Orthodox individuals. After looking through the study I decided to decline the kind offer to interview the researchers. I have nothing against surveys of this topic or any other but what can I say? I’m just not in the habit of being a dupe for an agenda-driven publicity piece masquerading as serious research.
