Merit is orthogonal to religion, and not the same thing as opportunity. Everyone deserves an opportunity. Merit is earned. If you expand that question a bit to

Merit is orthogonal to religion, and not the same thing as opportunity. Everyone deserves an opportunity. Merit is earned. If you expand that question a bit to include a concrete scenario, the problem quickly becomes apparent: “Are people who had no choice but to be indoctrinated that pianos are evil less deserving of the award for best emerging pianist?” That question would depend entirely on whether or not that person learned to play the piano at an advanced level. We might marvel that someone with such early beliefs about pianos could overcome those beliefs (and this might even increase “merit” in the minds of some), but at no point does it make sense to invert the argument and conclude that children of the anti-piano cult are any more or less deserving of the award regardless of whether or not they ever pursued piano. It’s simply an irrelevant point. We might draw other conclusions like: anti-piano cults threaten equal opportunity, because they lead some to believe that they shouldn’t try the piano to begin with. Meritocracy is an equalizing force in that it allows people from all backgrounds to reach success regardless of background. I never finished a degree, but still acquired the skills to succeed, got accepted by a major employer and that’s all that matters. Meritocracy is the thing that actually allowed me to succeed despite my upbringing. Breaking out of the bubble to begin with is a separate problem entirely, and one that still needs solving.