Anti-Semitism

This a series of posts explores anti-Semitism, its origins, the motivations behind it, its various manifestations, its consequences, and its possible future. The series also proposes a method for determining when an act or statement is anti-Semitic and concludes with some suggestions for remedying the consequences of anti-Semitism. A series of discussion questions is also included.

Review of the previous post.

The previous post, post number 12 of 33, was the first post in a series of eight posts discussing other causes of anti-Semitism and focused on the influence of Roman writings.

Preview of this post.

This post, post number 13 of 33, is the second post in a series of eight posts discussing other causes of anti-Semitism and focuses the Jews being in positions of influence.

Other Causes

1. Jews were in positions of influence

Jews were often in positions of power and influence, and thus their refusal to accept the new religion or, worse, to ask questions, created very difficult positions for those in power or those advocating the new religion. Because Jews were in positions of influence and because they refused to convert, they were viewed as standing in the way of the new religion’s advance, and thus in the way of the new religion’s god (which the new religion believed to be the right god, and the only way, hence anyone standing in the way of this belief, or worse, questioning it, was evil and was the anti-god). For example, when Jews refused to adopt or convert to a nascent religion, they were hated as being anti-god^[1].  Thus, the Jews were vilified. This vilification often found its way into the sacred texts of the new religions, especially if it was advocated by the founder of the religion, and was thus taught to the children and passed on^[2]. The vilification transmuted into hate^[3] which mutated into anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism can then become a Holocaust. Thus, perhaps, the roots of the Holocaust can be traced far back into history and do not begin with Hitler. Hitler merely took advantage of a cancer that was already present and had been present for centuries before the Nazis ever came to power. Furthermore, as in the story of Job where Job’s friends told Job him that he must have done something wrong or evil and thus deserved the punishment he was receiving, the German people may have believed  that the Jews had done evil things and thus deserved the punishment they were receiving. This would allow the people to accept, and even participate in, what was happening to the Jews during the Holocaust.

The continued difference of the Jews, the continued refusal to convert to other religions, the continued questioning by the Jews reinforced this opinion and added fuel to the fire of hatred and confirmed its correctness to those who harbored it.

Preview of the next post.

The next post, post number 14 of 33, is the third post in a series of eight posts discussing other causes of anti-Semitism and focuses on Christian religious teachings.

^[1] Martin Luther may have followed such a path. He initially welcomed Jews and sincerely believed that they would join his new religion; and when they refused, Luther became virulently anti-Jewish (from Marcus, “Mediaeval World, 167):

What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews/ Since they live among us and we know about their lying and blasphemy and cursing, we cannot tolerate them if we do not wish to share in their lies, curses, and blasphemy. First, their synagogues or churches should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it. Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer books and Talmud in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught. Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach anymore.

[2] See the above discussion under the title “The New Testament Account”.

^[3] See, for example, the writings of Heinrich von Treitschke, Wilhelm Marr (who may have been the one to coin the word “anti-Semitism”), Edouard Drumont, Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau, Ignatius, John Chrysostom, among (sadly) many others. Sadly, these virulent teachings might even be found, albeit in somewhat milder form, in the writings of “thinkers” such as Voltaire, Marx and Luther as well as others. Even Dickens, with his depiction of Fagin, continued this thought process. It would be a mistake to believe that Jews and Christians lived in a state of constant conflict because in many places and in many times they lived peacefully side-by-side; however, once the rhetoric of opposition was created and recorded, in written texts and oral stories, the potential for actual physical conflict began and continued to exist.