General Category > General Discussion
What is in a culture?
Masha:
--- Quote from: Sparky on November 30, 2008, 02:08:52 AM ---
--- Quote from: Daleksfearme on November 29, 2008, 11:49:03 PM ---I got a bit of a spark from Chiam's statement in the "Ask JTF" segment of last week when he said that he did not think that any group of people was "genetically inferior".
--- End quote ---
You do bring up a good point here. You are correct in that Chaim doesn't believe culture has a genetic component. He believes that cultural characteristics are a matter of choice, not genetics. Personally, this is one area where I disagree with him.
--- End quote ---
I disagree as well. Culture and genetics can't be separated. Our culture largely grows from our natural dispositions.
But that is not the same as talking about "genetic inferiority." This is a value judgement. Define your terms - and one group will be better, another worse. For example, are you talking about running, physical strength, musicality, or solving mathematical equations?
At the same time, I think that all groups have an equal capacity to make moral choices. Morality is not pre-destinied by one's genetics. It is true, for example, that blacks are genetically more aggressive (there have been studies to demonstrate it). Aggressive behavior has a hormonal component. But being more aggressive does not have to automatically imply that you behave like a criminal. You can use your aggression and physical strength in a moral way, for example summon what I call a "holy rage" to fight injustice.
I think that all people are equal in G-d's eyes as moral agents. They have an initial equal human worth and equal responsibility to behave morally. This is where equality begins and ends, in my opinion.
Daleksfearme:
--- Quote from: q_q_ on November 30, 2008, 02:26:03 AM ---mental and moral abilities/deficiencies have a large genetic component..
just as physical.
I read that 30% of american buddists, are secular jews. And I read that the Dalai lama has said that his best followers are jews. Intelligent people can adapt very well.. (it's a certain form of intelligence)
--- End quote ---
From what I have read in his books, The Dalai Lama does not encourage Jewish converts. I'm sorry I cant remember the exact book, but he did state that His faith has nothing to offer that the Jewish faith does not already have.
I do find the 30% figure very intersting, thank you for that, Do you remember where you saw it?
q_q_:
--- Quote from: Daleksfearme on November 30, 2008, 10:04:09 PM ---
--- Quote from: q_q_ on November 30, 2008, 02:26:03 AM ---mental and moral abilities/deficiencies have a large genetic component..
just as physical.
I read that 30% of american buddists, are secular jews. And I read that the Dalai lama has said that his best followers are jews. Intelligent people can adapt very well.. (it's a certain form of intelligence)
--- End quote ---
From what I have read in his books, The Dalai Lama does not encourage Jewish converts. I'm sorry I cant remember the exact book, but he did state that His faith has nothing to offer that the Jewish faith does not already have.
--- End quote ---
I didn't say he did.
buddists don't really evangelise anyway.
--- Quote from: Daleksfearme on November 30, 2008, 10:04:09 PM ---I do find the 30% figure very intersting, thank you for that, Do you remember where you saw it?
--- End quote ---
I read it in a british jewish tabloid rag, but it's all over the web
The LA Times is probably the source most are relying on
http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/jubu.html
These individuals are often called JUBUs – Jews by birth who turned to Buddhist practices in search of a spiritual element they feel is lacking in American Judaism. It's been estimated that about 30 percent of American Buddhists are Jewish by birth.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=arEFgUw-4b8C&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=jewish+buddhists+percentage&source=web&ots=w-7cWFehrv&sig=WAES2xrH_zpmsbt6bj8ZxQr0UGE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism By Gary Gach
In america , jews comprise less than 3 percent of the population, yet make up at least 15% of non-asian buddhists.
http://joi.org/blog/?p=192
According to an article in The Los Angeles Times, there are a large number of Jews represented in American Buddhist Centers, and perhaps more than 30% of all newcomers to Buddhism are Jewish.
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/02/local/me-jubus2
No one knows for certain how many JuBus there are; the last surveys were conducted in the 1970s. A large majority of the 3 million Buddhists in the United States are Asian, but by some estimates, at least 30% of all newcomers to Buddhism are Jewish. (By comparison, U.S. Jews number 6 million.)
Daleksfearme:
--- Quote from: q_q_ on December 01, 2008, 12:03:24 AM ---
--- Quote from: Daleksfearme on November 30, 2008, 10:04:09 PM ---
--- Quote from: q_q_ on November 30, 2008, 02:26:03 AM ---mental and moral abilities/deficiencies have a large genetic component..
just as physical.
I read that 30% of american buddists, are secular jews. And I read that the Dalai lama has said that his best followers are jews. Intelligent people can adapt very well.. (it's a certain form of intelligence)
--- End quote ---
From what I have read in his books, The Dalai Lama does not encourage Jewish converts. I'm sorry I cant remember the exact book, but he did state that His faith has nothing to offer that the Jewish faith does not already have.
--- End quote ---
I didn't say he did.
buddists don't really evangelise anyway.
--- Quote from: Daleksfearme on November 30, 2008, 10:04:09 PM ---I do find the 30% figure very intersting, thank you for that, Do you remember where you saw it?
--- End quote ---
I read it in a british jewish tabloid rag, but it's all over the web
The LA Times is probably the source most are relying on
http://www.acfnewsource.org/religion/jubu.html
These individuals are often called JUBUs – Jews by birth who turned to Buddhist practices in search of a spiritual element they feel is lacking in American Judaism. It's been estimated that about 30 percent of American Buddhists are Jewish by birth.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=arEFgUw-4b8C&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=jewish+buddhists+percentage&source=web&ots=w-7cWFehrv&sig=WAES2xrH_zpmsbt6bj8ZxQr0UGE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism By Gary Gach
In america , jews comprise less than 3 percent of the population, yet make up at least 15% of non-asian buddhists.
http://joi.org/blog/?p=192
According to an article in The Los Angeles Times, there are a large number of Jews represented in American Buddhist Centers, and perhaps more than 30% of all newcomers to Buddhism are Jewish.
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/may/02/local/me-jubus2
No one knows for certain how many JuBus there are; the last surveys were conducted in the 1970s. A large majority of the 3 million Buddhists in the United States are Asian, but by some estimates, at least 30% of all newcomers to Buddhism are Jewish. (By comparison, U.S. Jews number 6 million.)
--- End quote ---
Thanks for the links.
q_q_:
well, it's that last one, the LA times one that is the main one..
the rest was just me pointing out that it was all over google.
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