Why is there Antisemitism?

[DC]

i have been told that Antisemitism stemms soley from Religions, i doubt that.

I wonder what other people think how it comes into existance now adays.

 

[ponderingturtle]

I blame the jews.


More seriously, minority religious groups often have a lot of prejudices to deal with. They have been a minority religious group for a long time and in many places, so they have had a chance to build up a lot of history of these prejudices.

 

[willhaven]

Maybe they've been confused with sodomites?

 

[DC]

This was actually not meant to be a Humor thread. Even as i am the OP.

 

[Beerina]

I recall learning in Psych 101 that dictators love to focus the attentions of the hoi polloi on some other group. "This (small) group is the cause of all your problems! Don't throw me out of office. Rather, authorize me the power to bash them over the head and I will make your life better - I promise!"


(small) group takes on values of: Jews, Jewish businessmen, generic businessmen, trusts, corporations, drug companies, insurance companies, gypsies, Turks, god knows what.

Jews are just a well-honed and well-known (small) group.

 

[Doctor Evil]

i have been told that Antisemitism stemms soley from Religions, i doubt that.

I wonder what other people think how it comes into existance now adays.

The answer is that Antisemitism exists today because it was common in the past, and has a long history. I will explain.

Prejudices always existed. One can say being prejudiced is part of human nature, unfortunately. We are all prone to confirmation biases, which are crucial here. When you are prejudiced against a certain group you will tend to remember bad things that members of that group do more than their charitable actions. It gets even worse. You will also tend to assume that the intentions of said members of the group are bad, even when they are not. This is a self reinforcing mechanism.

The Jews were more unlucky than most, in that they were a minority under peoples which used hatred of Jews as a political tool. This probably starts with the Roman emperors of the Flavian dynasty which used their victory over the Jews to gain legitimacy. (They were the first emperors not from one of the big families - so they needed that.) Then there was the small issue of Christianity becoming the dominant religion in Rome, and the need to deflect the fact that the Roman's were the ones which killed Jesus.

Following this there was very long period where Jews lived under the rule of people who hated them. Since Jews were forbidden to own land, they were pushed to jobs which were forbidden to Christians, such as lending money. You can imagine that many Christians felt it was humiliating to be in debt to a Jew, increasing the level of hatred. All these factors reinforced each other.

In some part of the world the religious part is gone, but the underlying confirmation biases, and the tendency to interpret intentions are still there. Just look at the Helen Thomas or stone throwing incident threads. I identify a tendency to dismiss claims by Jews of antisemitic incidents without considering the details of said incidents. Alternatively, in some cases people admit that said incident was racist but try to explain and contextualise it. The same people would never dream of doing the same for an anti African-American act made by the KKK. This is really disheartening.

 

[Thunder]

until the late 1800s, anti-Semitism was purely for religious reasons and economic reason stemming from religious discrimination.

then, a whole new BS racial element becan to take shape.

and now, anti-Zionism and anger at Israeli policies is a major force in anti-Jewish feeling, but I am causious to label ALL anti-Zionism and anger at Israel, to be anti-Semitism.

 

[theprestige]

. . .

tl;dr -- "people have always been racist jerks"

 

[ShadowSot]

I've heard some Semites (but not Jewish) who are ticked off that they don't get counted as Semetic.

 

[Mark6]

On top of that, Jews are a by and large successful minority. In US at least Jews are richer than average population. Which invites envy, and conspiracy theories: "Jews can't be rich merely from studying and hard work -- they must be cheating somehow!" That attitude is common among lower classes, who objectively have reasons to envy -- you don't see many skinheads at Ivy League universities, or among children of Ivy League alumnae. Non-Jews who are themselves successful are much calmer (nowadays, anyway) about someone else being successful.

 

[Cainkane1]

This was actually not meant to be a Humor thread. Even as i am the OP.

I saw no humor in this thread. Jews being a minority, non Christian often but by no means always were self supporting and many were wealthy. They did things for each other that Christians should have done.

Jews have suffered despite the law abiding and decent nature of most of them. No matter how charitable they were thery were often blamed for things of which they were innocent. Scapegoats. They were easy to pin the blame on for various and sundry troubles because of superstition and religious biggotry. Other groups suffered the same fate like the gypsies for instance. Jews were literate while gypsies were not.

 

[Thunder]

I've heard some Semites (but not Jewish) who are ticked off that they don't get counted as Semetic.

well, then its a good thing "anti-Semitism" has nothing to do with being against Semites.

 

[Soapy Sam]

If there was no antisemitism, we would have to invent it.

Maybe we could sort of share it around a bit though?

Lets blame the Americans for everything and see if Israel lends them money to cheer them up.

 

[portlandatheist]

....and now, anti-Zionism and anger at Israeli policies is a major force in anti-Jewish feeling, but I am causious to label ALL anti-Zionism and anger at Israel, to be anti-Semitism.

Violence Against Women Linked To Burned Pot Roasts:

In addition to unsatisfactorily prepared meals, the study found that a number of other factors were linked to domestic violence, including: always nagging about getting the roof fixed, blocking the TV when the big game is on, and repeatedly demanding to know exactly what goes on at that bar all day and night.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/violence-against-women-linked-to-burned-pot-roasts,840/

 

[Fnord]

So, your are asking me why is there anti-semitism?

Maybe that the mitzvoi would be all the more sweet.

 

[Pardalis]

i have been told that Antisemitism stemms soley from Religions, i doubt that.

Why?

I wonder what other people think how it comes into existance now adays.

I saw you dismiss any suggestions in the other thread, like Wildcat's, so why should I bother giving my opinion? It's just going to be brushed aside like all the others.

 

[Pardalis]

most Antisemitism i came across was actually more economy based than religion.

Like what, for example?

cool, as an Atheist there is no danger for me becoming an Antisemite.....

If you think antisemitism is economically motivated, then atheists are as proned to it as anybody else.

Can't you see you just contradicted yourself?

well with that you are already alot closer.

What do you mean "a lot closer"? A lot closer to what? A lot closer to your preconceived idea of where antisemitism comes from?

If you already have your own idea about it, and will dismiss any suggestion to the contrary, then why did you start this thread?

Many many Jews are very succesfull in most things they do

Really? Do you have any statistical data to back this up?

you seem to have a very simplistic view on this problem.

Why is Wildcat's suggestion simplistic? There is definitely a religious basis for antisemitism.

You just suggested antisemitism is because of jalousy, isn't that simplistic?

 

[DC]

Why?

because i had the impression that a lot of antisemitic people i came across in real live, were not religious or even atheists.

I saw you dismiss any suggestions in the other thread, like Wildcat's, so why should I bother giving my opinion? It's just going to be brushed aside like all the others.

sorry for not just accept every comment as total truth and undoubted facts right away. and i started this thread just to collect a bunch of opinions to brush away

 

[DC]

Like what, for example?

Since the Banking crisis i have heard some very antisemitic comments in real live debates. Like some that claimed its all the fault of Jewish bankers.

If you think antisemitism is economically motivated, then atheists are as proned to it as anybody else.

Can't you see you just contradicted yourself?

Can't you see that it was Sarcasm?
i do believe atheists are just as prone to it as anybody else,

What do you mean "a lot closer"? A lot closer to what? A lot closer to your preconceived idea of where antisemitism comes from?

preconceived? i have an opinion about it yes, and with "a lot closer" i did mean closer to my opinion. But i don't believe my opinion is necessarily correct , maybe i am wrong.
But what do yo expect from me? Every time when it turns out that you and Wildcat have a different opinion as i have, i have to immediately change my opinion?

If you already have your own idea about it, and will dismiss any suggestion to the contrary, then why did you start this thread?

maybe i do not just dismiss any suggestion to the contrary? maybe i started a thread to debate that in more detail and to prevent derailing the other thread. I am willing to learn, are you?

Really? Do you have any statistical data to back this up?

no it is a subjective impression i have from Jews i know and those i see successfully in public.

Why is Wildcat's suggestion simplistic? There is definitely a religious basis for antisemitism.

You just suggested antisemitism is because of jalousy, isn't that simplistic?

Because i think there is not only one reason, and jealousy do to success is one of the other reasons i see. And there are more i think.

 

[DC]

So, your are asking me why is there anti-semitism?

Maybe that the mitzvoi would be all the more sweet.

what do you mean with that?