Wool & Words

First, let me announce that I finished the Pirate book. Excellent fun, highly recommend.

I'm still thinking about Abdul Rahman's situation. I just read a post by Carol at Go Knit in Your Hat (excellent blog, btw) about the situation that I think illustrates the difficulties that our culture may have in grappling with this particular situation.

We see the world very differently from those we seek to help. What course of action does that leave us? Forcing them to take on our viewpoint is a naive approach--our own views on freedom, liberty, and the individual grow from (whether we like it or not) a cultural stew populated by friendly philosophies AND Christianity. And, besides, you can't inculcate 2000+ years of cultural condition, or, for that matter, replace it, overnight. Or even in 4 years.

Leaving them to their own devices seems hardly useful either, particularly since, as this example demonstrates, there is a cultural incompatibility with universal rights our worldview (through the UN's Declaration) assumes. Putting aside the fact that there are numerous violations of that declaration worldwide for a moment (for the purposes of illustrating a larger point), how can we ignore a legal system that is intrisically opposed to the free exercise of religious beliefs?

The rock. The hard place. What do we do?

I'm glad I'm not in charge. I would spend my day weeping. Too many windows into the rottenness that can fester and grow in our souls.

I will get back to the knitting soon, I promise. I spent all of yesterday's allotted knitting time ripping back sweaters. Another window: gauge matters. As if I needed to remind myself.