It is fitting that this morning I start the bible thought and half way through there Paul is stoned. The people leave him for dead but against all odds the disciples gather him up and the next day he is preaching the Word. This week it has come to light that there will be a stoning happening of a woman who has been found guilty of committing adultery
Today it has been revealed that Iran have lifted the death sentence against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and will not be stoning her although there is some speculation that they will find another way to exact the death penalty for now it has been lifted after pressure from the international community.
At first this seems like good news this woman's human rights will not be violated and she will not suffer for a crime that in the West would only merit a divorce a most. But I have a number of questions what about all the women we don't hear about. Somehow Sakineh has come to the public attention but what about all those that have not. Second if she really did com mitt adultery and I am not convinced that she did because after 99 lashes you might be about ready to confess to anything just to get them to stop where is the man she did it with? It all seems a bit dubious to me.
But this is the first time that I have come close to hearing anything that resembles what Paul would have been through. It seems hard for me to fathom that this is what should happen. We live in such a different time from a time when stoning should be accepted or do we?
Recently a number of churches have pledged to giving attention to equal rights for women and seeking to end violence against women and children. I guess I sit reading that text wondering what I can do in the light of what happened with Sakineh.
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