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persecution has its compensation

English translation: There is a good side to persecution/persecution has its rewards

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase: persecution has its compensation
Selected answer:There is a good side to persecution/persecution has its rewards
Entered by: JaneTranslates

04:35 Dec 12, 2009
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: persecution has its compensation
But with this difference: petitions to the President of the United States to arrest this female offender and shut her up in the Chicago jail, indefinitely, after a mock trial, would avail not. Yet persecution has its compensation, and the treatment that Madame Guyon received emphasized the truths she taught and sent them ringing through the schools and salons and wherever thinking people gathered themselves together. Yes, persecution has its compensation. In its state of persecution a religion is pure, if ever; its decline begins when its prosperity commences. Prosperous men are never wise and seldom good. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you!
Shirley Fan
Local time: 08:21
There is a good side to persecution
Explanation:
Being persecuted for one's beliefs is usually seen as a bad thing; it's not pleasant to be imprisoned, or ostracized, or mocked, or tortured. However, there is a good side--a compensation: persecution tends to force one to analyze one's beliefs, often making them stronger, and it unifies those who hold those beliefs. Persecution often leads to faster propagation of a system of thought.
Selected response from:

JaneTranslates
Puerto Rico
Local time: 20:21
Grading comment
thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +9There is a good side to persecution
JaneTranslates
4oppression/harassment/ill-treatment requires making up for it later
Yasutomo Kanazawa
4there was some relief
Alexandra Taggart
3persecution has its reward
Bernhard Sulzer


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
There is a good side to persecution


Explanation:
Being persecuted for one's beliefs is usually seen as a bad thing; it's not pleasant to be imprisoned, or ostracized, or mocked, or tortured. However, there is a good side--a compensation: persecution tends to force one to analyze one's beliefs, often making them stronger, and it unifies those who hold those beliefs. Persecution often leads to faster propagation of a system of thought.

JaneTranslates
Puerto Rico
Local time: 20:21
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36
Grading comment
thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Detre
18 mins
  -> Thank you, John.
agree  Stephanie Ezrol
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Stephanie.
agree  Jack Doughty
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Jack.
agree  Paula Vaz-Carreiro
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, Paula.
agree  Jenni Lukac (X)
4 hrs
  -> Thank you, Jenni.
agree  Annett Kottek (X)
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, Annett.
agree  Polangmar
7 hrs
  -> Thanks, Polangmar.
agree  Rolf Keiser
9 hrs
  -> Thank you, Goldcoaster.
agree  Bernhard Sulzer: or: has its reward(s): I realized your expl. goes farther than mine, incl. all the really good consequ., poss. unifying people in the belief and opinions of the imprisoned, convinc. them of their truth(ringing through the schools ...and wherever think).
11 hrs
  -> Thank you very much, Bernhard. That's very gracious of you.
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
persecution has its compensation
oppression/harassment/ill-treatment requires making up for it later


Explanation:
Madame Guyon has been oppressed or harassed based on her beliefs in her religion, which was considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church.

Oppressing/harassing or ill-treating people requires making it up afterwards, a good example would be the Nazis' persecution of the Jews, where even today, Germany is compensating the Jews and other European countries due to Hitler's committed atrocities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Marie_Bouvier_de_la_Mott...

Yasutomo Kanazawa
Japan
Local time: 09:21
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 40

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Annett Kottek (X): Sorry, this doesn’t work for me. In the case of murder, I believe most people rather had their family member(s) back than monetary compensation. This author moreover argues that material wealth harms religion. Only moral high ground may be gained.
5 hrs
  -> Thank you Annett for your input.
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
persecution has its reward


Explanation:
although those who are prosecuted might see it differently


the pains of persecution are sometimes rewarded (or balanced out) by its truthfulness and moral weight (in this case) , as in Madame Guyon's case. The persecution is proof that she has the truth on her side and not those who persecute her.

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Note added at 42 mins (2009-12-12 05:17:46 GMT)
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clarification:
the pains of persecution are sometimes rewarded (or balanced out) by the truthfulness of what the persecuted person stands for, her opinions. The word persecution itself is already negative and implies its wrongfulness.
Persecution is proof that Madame Guyon or anybody who is persecuted has the truth on her/his side and not those who persecute.

Bernhard Sulzer
United States
Local time: 20:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 8
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
there was some relief


Explanation:
Not everything was in vain.

Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Local time: 03:21
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 14
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