http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1213/p1s4-woeu.html

The sentence is like a proverb. Essentially it is saying, that a beneath the surface (the pile of stones, rough and ugly though they are) are things which are far more precious (gems).

The issues regarding the protestants and catholics in ireland are rooted in a poor understanding of each other.

I hope that helps.

i don’t know what’s going on in Ireland,but i think that we choose to be friend with someone because of his personality,not because of his religion.

rejecting people who can be great friends to us,because they have different religion is completely wrong…

we judge the others,because they have different religion from us;we don’t try to find out more about them.we just reject them.

i can tell you an example:i am from Greece,and if you’re friend with a Turk,the majority will tell you that he’s not a good man,because he has different religion,and because he’s not christian….and that’s so unfair!