After reading “Some Commons residents left stoves on for religious reasons” in the Oct. 26 issue of The Diamondback, I was really glad to see there are people who value their commitment to religious observances over the lives of 300 of their peers. I mean, sure, you have the right to believe and practice any religion you desire, but you don’t have the right to endanger the lives of other students in the process.
I wish I could use religion as an excuse for callous activities and ignoring common sense, but alas, I cannot. What’s the thought process in these situations? “Hmm, what I am doing could potentially harm other people and cause a substantial amount of monetary damage to my university … but screw it, my God demands I leave these burners on.” Does the thought process even get that far, or does it stop with “My God told me to?” What garbage.
How’s this for a “system to turn them on and off”: Ask a non-Jewish friend to come over and not roll their eyes while turning your oven on so you can cook. Or, better yet, just be considerate of the fact that the kids above you probably don’t want to burn to a crisp — turn it on yourself. Sure, you may think your god doesn’t approve, but do you really want to be worshipping something that’s so petty?
Perhaps I am sick and tired of religious people hiding behind their respective religions. What would the headline be if a bunch of nonreligious students did this? “Some students leave burners on, defying orders to turn them off.” Nobody would be trying to defend their actions. Furthermore, the university also deserves a lot of credit for trying to work with uncompromising students who “… won’t stop leaving [the burners] on for the holidays.” Imagine the university trying to explain this situation if the unthinkable happened: “Well, these students were just practicing their religion.” Something tells me that wouldn’t fly.
Some of these students are “upset” they can’t cook food for a couple of days. I’m sure some parents would be a little more than “upset” if the building burned down in the middle of the night. Did this holiday just sneak up without warning like Christmas usually does? Then again, I’m usually reminded that Christmas is approaching three months in advance thanks to our friend, the television. If I knew I’d be without power for two days, I’d sure as hell make sure to stock up on food that didn’t need to be cooked. Sure, you may not be able to bake brownies for the feast, but then again, you wouldn’t be posing a fire risk to yourself and your neighbors.
It’s your prerogative to participate in this holiday: There is neither a need nor a right for you to demand the university accommodate you. What happened to personal responsibility?
Let’s not even mention the absurd comment that there is “… always room for compromise.” There is no compromise needed. These students have to stop endangering the entire building. It’s a shame every religion is seemingly founded on the principal of “ignore common sense, cling to ancient superstitions.”
I guess if I’ve learned anything, it’s that creating a fire hazard is OK as long as you’re trying to emulate a 3,300-year-old book of fiction.
Ryan Galginaitis is a 2010 university alumnus. He can be reached at rgalginaitis@gmail.com.
