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paulvipond · Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 60 Location: Bury

My usual suspicion about the media forced me to actually read Rowan Williams' speech. The subsequent outcry becomes more understandable when you realise that most reporters probably couldn't understand it. Ah the perils of academia.

What is important is his underlying question which applies to Christians, Jews and Muslims alike which appears to be this. In a society that focuses on "rights" there is an assumption that everyone has a responsibility to ensure those rights are met. That's OK of course if you agree with those rights. But what price the Christian GP who does not want to sanction abortion? Or the orthodox Jew who does not want to work on a Saturday?

What was perhaps unwise was RW's failure to foresee the impact of his words on Christians say in Nigeria who face sharia law. Sharia may not be monolithic but that may not be much help to Christians facing a particularly harsh interpretation of sharia.

So before Christians react to quickly to what the media says RW said perhaps we should think about how it impacts on us.

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Make you walk in the dust of your rabbi, Jesus