Suffering is not a contest. Yes, Jewish people like myself have endured prejudice and violence for thousands of years but so have others. Unfortunately, the history of humans is rife with genocide, destruction of cultures, and cruelty to others.
Precisely, why do Jews think they've cornered the market on prejudice and suffering? In Buddhist teachings, the First Noble Truth is "Life is suffering." No exemptions are allowed...
The point of my comment is that many Jewish people, including me, believe that prejudice and suffering is common and happens to many, particularly marginalized groups. By writing "why do Jews think..." you are perpetuating a stereotype and prejudice against Jewish people. Jewish people are an extremely diverse group spanning many cultures, countries, and beliefs.
Well as someone of Polish Jewish origin I can confirm that there are many other cultures that also believe they have a monopoly on suffering. I remember a conversation many years ago in communist Poland where I was trying to explain to a friend what was going on in Guatemala, the murder of thousands of peasants, he stopped me and exclaimed: That is Nothing, compared to what we have suffered in Poland! WWII was not long past and the isolation of Poland because of the communist state created an ignorance of events that were ongoing. The Russians carry a similar rubric about their suffering in the last war. All of this is a honest acknowledgment until it turns into a monopoly of suffering.
Suffering is not a contest. Yes, Jewish people like myself have endured prejudice and violence for thousands of years but so have others. Unfortunately, the history of humans is rife with genocide, destruction of cultures, and cruelty to others.
Precisely, why do Jews think they've cornered the market on prejudice and suffering? In Buddhist teachings, the First Noble Truth is "Life is suffering." No exemptions are allowed...
The point of my comment is that many Jewish people, including me, believe that prejudice and suffering is common and happens to many, particularly marginalized groups. By writing "why do Jews think..." you are perpetuating a stereotype and prejudice against Jewish people. Jewish people are an extremely diverse group spanning many cultures, countries, and beliefs.
Well, you certainly proved my point…
Well as someone of Polish Jewish origin I can confirm that there are many other cultures that also believe they have a monopoly on suffering. I remember a conversation many years ago in communist Poland where I was trying to explain to a friend what was going on in Guatemala, the murder of thousands of peasants, he stopped me and exclaimed: That is Nothing, compared to what we have suffered in Poland! WWII was not long past and the isolation of Poland because of the communist state created an ignorance of events that were ongoing. The Russians carry a similar rubric about their suffering in the last war. All of this is a honest acknowledgment until it turns into a monopoly of suffering.