The Case of Cordoba House.

Previously I have said both that nothing lasts forever or is sacred and that certain ideas are universal and unchanging. This seems to be self-contradicting so please let me elaborate further.

All physical things in the universe exist - meaning that they can interact in some way with the world around them. If they could not do so, then they wouldn't exist. Also, certain ideas never change, for example definitions and logical deductions (i.e. A circle is always a circle and 20/4 = 5is always true.)

Now let's take the very simplest of universal concepts, such as the number 4. You can have four of anything in the world; if you half that group of 4 you'll have 2, if you double it you get 8, add 5 to it you'll get 9 etc. etc. Basically the number 4 changes in the same way no matter what it's referring to. They could be buses, ducklings, Vikings, bullets - whatever. If you half the number in that group you'll have a group of 2.

Now let's take four ducklings as an example. With time those four ducklings will grow older, molt, re-grow their feathers, get scarred, develop drinking problems, open up Duck-Duck-Duck&Duck enterprises etc. etc. Although the number four has remained unchanged, what it is referring to has changed. After 15 years, double the group, halving the group etc. will still have the same result it had initially, for the number four is a universal concept and doesn't change.

Therefore, even though universal ideas in themselves never change, they are represented in the physical world by physical things and those things change. The same with much more complicated ideas like peace and freedom and so on and so forth.

Let me bring up the case of Cordoba House as an example. Nine years after the events of 9/11, an Islamic center is to be built very close to the site where the Twin Towers used to stand. Eight years ago, this would have been a joke. It is quite easy to imagine a stand-up comedian using such an event to lead to a witty remark about the government. Anyway, how does Cordoba house relate to the point I am trying to make?

Nine years ago, the idea of an Islamic centre so close to the sight of the WTC would have been unthinkable by the authorities. However, they have now changed their minds. Hence their opinion- which exists and is therefore influenced by demographic numbers, economic situations etc. has changed. The idea of what peace is, however, has not changed. The choice to go ahead with Cordoba house has made several citizens very angry with the authorities who gave the green light on this project. These enraged emotions have disrupted civil peace and protests have begun springing up.

The point? Opinions change but what peace is does not. If these politicians had the concept of peace in mind they would not have gone ahead with the project. They may have waited a few years for the people's opinions to change also, in which case the project would be able to come into realization without causing a panic, but they have chosen not to. Hence it is clear to see not only how the world has changed to allow such a project to come into being, but also how change can allow such projects to be feasible without having to disrupt peace. (i.e. waiting for the public opinion to change - or steering it to change)

To generalize the moral further; Universal ideas never change but the world does. Hence change may make universal ideas more feasible or less feasible (depending on the change which has taken place) and therefore must be taken advantage of in such a way as to make positive ideas more feasible and negative ideas less feasible.

Also; Everything changes, so rather than trying to create something permanent, trying to steer change in a certain direction is much more efficient and realistic.