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Silence, by shusaku endo



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amother
cornflower


 

Post Sat, Feb 11 2017, 10:34 pm
Did anyone read it?
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MagentaYenta




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Feb 11 2017, 10:41 pm
Many years ago. Do you have to read it for a class?
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amother
cornflower


 

Post Sat, Feb 11 2017, 11:10 pm
MagentaYenta wrote:
Many years ago. Do you have to read it for a class?


No, I didn't realize it's even a book that's ever assigned for class reading.

I read it over the weekend and was... kind of bothered I guess by how similar it seemed (to me at least), to the Spanish Inquisition and... it just got me thinking a lot. I guess I grew up hearing how unique and special Jews are blah, blah, blah and ... this story was kind of interchangeable with some Marcus Lehman books about the Inquisition, that I read as a kid...and that just threw me.

All those thoughts the narrator had (about how special and unique and true) about his religion are the same ones we feel about ours (and others feel about theirs)...

I don't know why this is disturbing me so much, was just wondering if anyone else read the book and what their thoughts were.

Finally, I know believing in Hashem is a yaharog v'al ya'avor but in the situation the book describes (where it's not your own life, but other people's lives that will be lost if you don't renounce your religion), what is the halachic requirement?
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MagentaYenta




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Feb 11 2017, 11:17 pm
I'm not familiar with Lehmans books. It's been agreed that Endo's work is historically accurate and depicts the persecutions of Xtians in Japan. Endo's silent Xtian god is reflective of the discrimination that Endo experienced in Japan and the racism Endo experienced in France. The film is quite well done and follows the book.
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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Feb 11 2017, 11:21 pm
I read it but was so horrified and traumatized I tried to forget it.
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hillary




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 16 2017, 9:43 pm
amother wrote:


Finally, I know believing in Hashem is a yaharog v'al ya'avor but in the situation the book describes (where it's not your own life, but other people's lives that will be lost if you don't renounce your religion), what is the halachic requirement?


Well Jewish history and Selichos/Kinos would suggest that other people's lives are no more important than your own.
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