Who is racist, me or you?

Question

If I were to say to you, You're a Christian!

How insulted would you feel?

But if I were to say instead to you, You're a Jew!

How insulted would you feel?

And to whom does the fault belong to for you to feel as you do?

By the way, this question assumes a hypothetical me, and a hypothetical you.

But all those people who failed to understand this, "You're a Jew!"

Answer 1

don't ever call me a christian. i've got much more sense than that.

Answer 2

That is a good question. I would not be offended if someone said "you're a Christian". I don't think I would be offended either if someone shouted "You're a Jew!"; but for some reason it just sounds so much ruder. It is probably because everyone knows of the horrors of the Holocaust and everytime the word Jew is brought up we get reminded of it again. Although no one should ever be made to feel ashamed or be offended because of their religion.

Answer 3

Hi there.Usually the person who asks those type of questions are after an emotional reaction from people who get offended ,They get a lot of pleasure from people who are insulted by being labelled something they are not. So to deflate their ego you just let what the say go in one ear and out the other without showing any emotion to them (no matter how hard it is to do and no matter how insulted you really are)

Answer 4

As I am an atheist I would not be insulted by either. Each person is entitled to believe what they want and it is not up to me to persuade them otherwise. If someone thinks I am a Christian or Jew that is their perception. I most certainly would not feel insulted.

Answer 5

The sentence, "You're a Jew," conveys a connotative difference from "You're a Christian."

This may be because Jews have been--very wrongly--thought of as being members of a particular racial group. The sentence, "You're a Jew," delivered a certain way, in a certain context, may convey that message.

No one assumes that "a Christian" is a member of a particular racial group.

Non-Jewish people who are historically and culturally wise tend to refer to Jewish people as "Jewish people," and might say that as particular person is "Jewish," but not that he is "a Jew."

The Jewish people themselves may say that, but they have a right to be offended when others do.

If you read up on the development of anti-Semitism in Europe prior to WWII, this would make more sense.

Answer 6

I am racist. Try not to be, but can't help it. In all honesty, racism is on many levels, this is rather mild. Not either religion and not insulted either way. But is discriminating against a racist any better than being a racist yourself?

Answer 7

neither is offensive- I may wonder why you are guessing my religion but I don't think either is an insult.

so you are the racist for thinking that being called one of these is mean

Answer 8

It doesn't matter. If the other person is offended, then you are being offensive. It isn't up to you.

And when racist are talking about 'Jews' they usually mean the Hebrew nation, the original middle eastern culture.

And yes, I would be deeply offended if someone called me a Christian. I am an atheist.

Answer 9

I would not feel insulted by either statement, unless it was said in an offensive, and derogatory way.

Answer 10

I shoudn't feel insulted even if I don't believe in God, I could only say you do a mistake in both case.

Answer 11

we all believe our own beliefs are the correct ones ... it seems to be the human condition. As long as you don't try to impose on anyone else that's absolutely fine.

no-one can insult you (or me) whatever they say. It doesn't matter what they think or say, it's only a reflection of their own problem. All that's worthy of consideration is what you believe about yourself.