A Book, entitled "How Polish People Helped Germans Murder Jews;" was published recently (January 2013) in Poland. (*)http://www.czarnaowca.pl/literatura_faktu/jak_polacy_niemcom_zydow_m,p720952114 I hope it will be translated into English. The author, Stefan Zgliczynski, is a journalist associated with the Polish version of Le Monde Diplomatique. His book generated many interesting comments on a Polish website: http://www.polityka.pl/forum/115927...ead?addPost=true&parent_id=1160679#commentBox The link below will take you to selected observations (translated by me). (*)http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/xenophobia.html Thay are worth reading and thinking about.
The Polish people inherited a centuries-long long tradition of anti-Semitism and were unfortunately caught up with it when the Nazis conquered them. There were even incidents where German troops had to protect Jews from over-zealous Polish mobs who wanted to murder them right out of hand after the invasion. The people of Poland were punished by God, and thoroughly, for their anti-Semitism. Their own elite, including all their own army officers, were murdered by the Nazis. But not only that, but Polish intellectuals were murdered, so that the entire "thinking" part of the Polish people were destroyed, in order to make true the Nazi propaganda that the Slavs were inferior prople incapable of anything but physical labor. The suffering of the Poles continued after the war as they lived under Communism until 1989. The Communist government tried to stomp out their faith in God, so they clung to it all the more fiercely. With the spiritual leadership of John Paul II, they broke the chains and won their own freedom. The lesson of the Poles should be a lesson learned by all people on this forum who spout off anti-Semitism. There are fatal consequences to spouting off hatred of the Jews, both to the Jews, and the people who spout it off. If you read the Bible, you will see that all the nations who persecuted the Jews eventually met a bad end, and all who gave them a safe harbor were blessed because of it. The United States has always been a safe harbor for the Jews, and we have been greatly blessed because of it. Jews make many valuable contributions to our science, to our culture and to the world of invention.
If there was no God, then the Jews would have not survived 3000 years with all the persecution they've gone through. It is simply impossible for a group of people to survive for so many millenia unless there is a supernatural explanation. Let me ask you a question. Where are the ancient Greeks? Where are the ancient Romans? Where are the ancient Philistines? These people have long ago lost their national identity in intermarriage and mixing of races. Even in America, we see that ethic groups are quickly mixed up after a few generations. Only the Jews, and only them, retain a separate identity, even though they lived nearly 2000 years without a home to call their own, even though they were hated and cursed almost everywhere they went, even though they were massacred and exiled and all the rest, they persevered and even prospered. This is historical fact and not even the most hardened atheist can deny it, not even a Jewish atheist.
I can see where this is going and it's lose-lose for Jews, but I don't want to hijack the thread as it's about Polish Catholics who had a hate for Polish Jews during the time Poland was occupied by the Nazis. I'd be happy to know how Poles today - secular and Catholic - treat and view Jews today in Poland. On another note, if you ever get a chance to see a film called Kanal, about the Polish resistance to the Nazis, get a look at it, it's brilliant - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanał
Two facts, incontrovertible, can't be disputed: The Israelites, the primitive people who first learned of the monotheistic God "Yahweh" and worshipped him, have survived with their faith, traditions, and Holy Book intact for 3000 years. No other people who lacked their own homeland can make that claim. The Roman Catholic Church, the only church founded by Jesus Christ himself, has lasted 2000 years, is the oldest continuous institution of mankind, still intact in the same form since its beginning, outlasting the Roman Empire and thousands of governments that followed it. None of these facts could be true were it not for the intervention of God.
Theravada Buddhism, the oldest form (and probably the oldest teachings) has been around since about 4th century BCE.
He said 'continuous institution.' He's not referring to a belief system, but an organized body, an institution. I'm not positive that his assertion is valid, but your refutation misses his point.
A belief system that is older than Christianity doesn't prove anything, because such a belief system can survive simply because religions last a long time. The Catholic Church is unique among religions in that it has a central authority with a world-wide influence that has been continuous and uninterrruped for 2000 years. There is no way that an institution that was only made of humans could last that long.
Believe me, Theravada Buddhism is organised. This becomes very evident when one lives in a country where it's primary religion. One example is That Luang Festival in Vientiane, the most significant religious festival in Laos. 30,000-40,000 people attend early morning alms giving on the last (and most significant) morning alone. Buddhist clergy from all over Laos, plus Buddhist clergy from Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar attend along with people from these countries. Last year there was a monk delegation from Sri Lanka, where Theravada Buddhism originated. In Laos, as well as Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar have a head monk (equivalent to the Arch Bishop of Canterbury or a Catholic Arch Bishop in any country) so you see there is a definite organised body. Even calendars (I'm looking at one now) have all the religious days and celebrations highlighted. Workers are given days off on these religious days. Where the problem lies is, too many people in the west have this preconceived idea that Buddhism is only a lifestyle and not a religion. Probably from taking too much notice of those Californian hippy types looking for a different lifestyle. Come to a Theravada Buddhist country and see how Buddhism is so deeply engrained within the culture it's in almost all fabrics of society. I can give a very simple example. We have a housekeeper who is Buddhist, very spiritual and devout. Even her methods of preparing food is done in "Buddhist way",, everything must be in balance. Food, especially rice is never thrown out without a prayer. The other day she caught me swotting a mosquito, looked up at me a said 'baap'- sin or guilt in Lao language. - - - Updated - - - Poor Didums. What about posting that link I asked for?
Blackrook, a quick review of history shows that you are blowing smoke out of your ass as usual. Poland was the center of Eastern European Jewry until the Russians partitioned the country and introduced violent anti-Semitic pogroms. Anti-Semitism was a European-wide disease and Polish people aren't particularly evil, azzhole.
It's organized - it is not itself an institution. I really don't see the importance of the distinction Blackrook made, but there is no need to blur or deny it, especially if you find it unimportant as I do.
of course it is an institution. and you may consider it unimportant but 150 million adherents disagree with you
Buddhism is also the fastest growing religion in western countries, including Australia and Canada, by way of births and conversions. 350 million Buddhists (if you include all disciplines ) world wide and growing.
I know they say, if you forget history you're doomed to repeat it. But, what do they say about people who obsess over it?
Between 1939 and 1945, at least 1.5 million Polish citizens were deported to German territory for forced labour and it's estimated that around 2-3 million non-Jewish Polish civilians were perished in concentration camps in addition to 3 million Polish Jews. Nazi Germany eliminated the Polish political leadership in an effort to destroy Polish culture and ethnic Poles had no control over the extermination policy to create Lebensraum ("living space") for ethnic Germans. Of the 400,000 registered prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp, 140,000 were Poles and 205,000 were Jews and the Soviets deported more than 1,200,000 Poles to Siberia from 1940 to 1941 and Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union coordinated their Poland-related policies until Operation Barbarossa based on the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939.
Greeks have lost their identity.. when was that? We speak the same language for the last 2000 years and the one before it is like 90% identical , also if you know a bit about our history you would understand that Pericles bankrupted the state in the same way our politicians did and the Byzantines did the exact same thing we are doing since independence, try to kill each other. A few things about Poles : Poland unified with the grand duchy of Lithuania like 500 years ago and became one of the largest and most important countries in Europe , they fought several wars against the grand powers of the era like Russia and Sweden , They were so strong that they risen the middle finger to the Hapsburg empire at it's highest . The commonwealth hosted many Jews who acted like tax collectors , accountants and public servants and for this reason they were targeted by minorities like the Cossacks and the Tatars , the state was always there to defend them .... so long for the "centuries of anti-Semitism"
WTF? Ancient Greeks are now modern Greeks. Ancient Romans are now modern Italians. Ancient Jews are now modern Jews. Ancient Philistines are now modern Palestinians. Gods had nothing to do with anything. They're myths.
