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American Idols - Entitlement

The Worship of Entitlement

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American Idols - Entitlement: The Worship of Entitlement

Do we deserve to be here? Or is our existence an unearned gift? A sense of entitlement is the idolatrous notion that "If I exist, then I must be important."

Topics:

Idolatry; Paganism, Ego & Selfhood, Existence; Reality

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By Manis Friedman

Rabbi Manis Friedman, a noted Chassidic philosopher, author and lecturer, is dean of Bais Chana Women's Institute of Jewish Studies.

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7 Comments

wise December 10, 2013

American Idols -Entitlement Funny how people don't believe in G-d even with abundant evidence of the things on earth that man cannot create. Funny how devoid of perception they are, when they don't realizes that a greater being, i.e G-d so much more wiser than them, must have created these things. No wonder Kind David said, in Psalm 14 v 1 "The fool said in his heart, "There is no God"; Reply

Itche Brooklyn January 21, 2012

Reply to Sandra Shlomo hamelech didn't feel that he deserved wisdom on his own merit, rather he requested wisdom from g-d so he can judge the people correctly, therefore g-d granted him wisdom Reply

Ali Bahri Özdemir Boston, MA January 4, 2012

Self Idolatry This is a great video.
I used to be Muslim and they take Shirk (idolatry) very seriously. Even saying you shoud have ... is Idolatry. However, they never talked about them selves as being Idols. I believe that Muslims do take themselves as idols subconsciously. Its is by the sehid's (martyr's) blood will HE be able to ASSURE him/herself to go to paradise. And in paradise he/she is not worshiping God, He is being served by Allah. Allah creates his wine, water, rivers, trees, servant boys and virgins all for HIS (the martry's) pleasure. by their blood They become their own saviors, gods, and servants. Although the majority of Musims disobey by not wishing to fight in Allah's cause, they still expect to go to paradise where they will have these carnal pleasures Reply

Anonymous Melbourne, Australia January 2, 2012

The Worship of Entitlement I've noted the commercials which end with "You deserve it." Never for a moment have I wanted the items I supposedly deserve; never for a moment did I think it possible that I deserve any of them. Why should I deserve anything? This mindset comes from a childhood in which I was taught that I am nothing, that I must not pray for myself but only for others. I do not think this is a healthy way of raising children: teaching them to think themselves worthless. Placing that aside, however, i think it a beautiful concept that we are created, the world is created, by a G-d who wishes to empty Himself and hand all the beauty He knows to beings that He created in this act of emptying Himself - because it means so much to Him to share what He has and what He knows. I think it is a beautiful concept; whether I believe it to be actually true? Well, I wish with most of my heart that I could believe it. Sad state of affairs. Reply

Anonymous Dallas, TX/USA January 1, 2012

The Meaning of Life....and Death If life is meaningless, why commit suicide? Friedman wonders. It is only the ego that cannot abide in a meaningless world, so in order to assert its own "power" it takes its own "life." This is yet another meaningless gesture since the ego is itself not real and was never alive to begin with. We chose to stay alive because there can be great joy in life. Joy that speaks of unity and belonging and peace. That joy gives us hope. We live on that hope. Reply

Anonymous Portland, ore December 30, 2011

Deservedness Interesting & ironic no posts on this topic. Your talk on deservedness makes it hard to hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. It makes sense why most people (myself included)would prefer to have not heard this talk-let alone comment on it.Commenting means I've given some credence to what u said thus ratteling my world view. Human beings don't want to discuss this entitlement issue u raise.1. Posting about it means admitting our guilt of consciously or unconsciously believing in the notion of "I deserve" Ide prefer to be in a coma than have my illusion shattered. It's funny most people believe their irrational non-sensical beliefs(they know they are irrationalbut this is irrelevent because the illusion is the only thing keeping them alive) when wehear and are alarmed by the truth in the lie of 'I Deserve" we willsee the false view of self in the world.facing the truth of our insignificance & shattering this illusion will not kill us maintaining the illusion will. Reply

Sandro Richmond, Canada December 29, 2011

deserve Did Shlomoh Ha Melech deserve the Wisdom that G-D gave him? Reply

American Idols - Entitlement: The Worship of Entitlement

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