Why have the Jews been so persecuted?

Answer 1

Answer in the form of another question:

Why is any individual or group persecuted or discriminated against?

Answer

After World War 1, Germany was not allowed to trade freely with other European nations because of their actions during the war. As a result, Germany felt the affects of the great depression even more harshly than did the rest of the world. Hitler believed and convinced those around him that the reason for their financial problems was rooted in the fact that a good number of businesses in Germany were owned and operated by Jews. Hitler alleged that if the nation could target the Jews and get rid of them, the finances of Germany could improve. He also claimed that there was only one way to overcome the sanctions that had been the result of World War 1, and that was to overthrow the nations that were imposing the sanctions.

Hitler succeeded in gaining quite a following among the Germans and part of his plan was to arrest and destroy all Jews and to take their property. Millions of Jewish men, women and children were gassed, shot or starved to death in his unsuccessful attempt to kill off an entire race of people.

Actually it was because Hitler and his Nazis were jealous of the success many Jews have in life because of their disciplined and hard working approach to life.

It would be a big mistake to regard antisemitism as a specifially German 'thing'. In fact, in the early 1930s Zionists were much more worried about the situation in Romania, Hungary and Poland. Germany was mistakenly regarded as a relatively safe country for Jews.

Ignorance

Because the Christians were conditioned to believe that the Jews killed Jesus. If the Jews had killed Jesus, it wouldn't have been by nailing him. That has no basis in the Torah.

Jews were killed by Hitler because he thought that the Aryan race was the best. To the Nazi way of "thinking," the Jews were at the bottom.

because they believed in something different then hitler

Because Adolf Hitler believed that Germans, being inherently superior human beings, ...

Historians have listed six explanations as to why some people hate the Jews:

1) Economic: Some people hate Jews because "they possess too much wealth and power."

2) Chosen People: Some hate the Jews because Jews claim that they are the chosen people (Exodus ch.19 and other passages).

3) Scapegoat: Jews seem to be a convenient group to single out and blame for the troubles of society.

4) Deicide: Some hate the Jews "because they killed Jesus."

5) Outsiders: Some hate the Jews "because they are different than us." (Xenophobia.)

6) Racial Theory: Some hate the Jews "because they are an inferior race."

As we examine the explanations, we must ask: Are they causes for anti-Semitism or excuses for it? The difference being, that if one takes away the cause, then anti-Semitism should no longer exist. If one can show a contradiction to the explanation, it demonstrates that the "cause" is not a reason, it is just an excuse.

Let's look at some of the contradictions:

Economic -- The Jews of 17th- 19th century Poland and Russia were dirt poor and had no influence, and yet they were hated.

Chosen People -- a) In the late 19th century, most Jews of Germany denied "Chosenness;" and they assimilated. Yet the Holocaust started there.

b) Christians and Moslems also profess to being the "Chosen people," but the world and the anti-Semites tolerate them.

Scapegoat -- Any group must already be hated to be an effective scapegoat. The Scapegoat theory does not cause anti-Semitism. Rather, anti-Semitism is what makes the Jews a convenient target. Hitler's ranting and ravings would not be taken seriously if he said, "It's the bicycle riders and the midgets who are destroying our society."

Deicide -- a) the Christian Bible says the Romans killed Jesus, with Jews mentioned as accomplices. (The claims that Jews directly killed Jesus came several hundred years later). Why are the alleged accomplices persecuted, but there hasn't been an anti-Roman movement through history?

b) Jesus himself said, "Forgive them [i.e., the Jews], for they know not what they do." And the Second Vatican Council in 1963 officially exonerated the Jews as the killers of Jesus. Neither of these events lessened anti-Semitism.

Outsiders -- With the Enlightenment in the late 18th century, many Jews rushed to assimilate. Anti-Semitism should have stopped. Instead, for example, the Nazis proclaimed in essence: We hate you, not because you're different, but because you're trying to become like us! We cannot allow you to "infect" the Aryan race with your "inferior genes."

Racial Theory -- The overriding problem with this theory is that it is self-contradictory: Jews are not a race. Anyone can become a Jew - and members of every race, creed and color in the world have done so at one time or another.

Answer 2

To say that Jews have been persecuted throughout history is a sweeping statement. There was certainly no explicit persecution before the Roman period. Yes, the Jews were taken into captivity by the Babylonians, but this happened to other races as well. The Persians treated the Jews well, and allowed them to return to Judah.

The pagan Romans are noted for their tolerance towards the Jews, in spite of two Roman-Jewish wars and insurrections elsewhere in the Jewish diaspora (for example Cyprus). After the second Roman-Jewish War, there were religious restrictions, but these were soon removed by Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161), who insisted only that they should never circumcise any foreign proselyte. The Jews were allowed to practise their religion, were exempt from worshiping the Roman gods and exempt from serving in the military because of dietary difficulties.

The first Christian emperor, Constantine, began the persecution of both pagans and Jews. Constantine issued legislation that both imposed penalties on anyone who converted to Judaism and forbade Jews to disturb those who had been converted from Judaism to Christianity. Constantine also issued an edict, similar to earlier legislation, demanding that a Jew forfeit any slave whom he had purchased and circumcised. Under such conditions, the slave would receive his freedom.

The civil immunities which had been enjoyed under pagan rule were gradually repealed by the Christian emperors and lucrative modes of oppression were invented by the bishops and eunuchs of the court of Constantine's son, Constantius.

The brief return to paganism under Julian the Apostate (361-3) saw a renewal of tolerance, but this was ended by his untimely death and the return to Christian rule.

The building of new synagogues was repeatedly prohibited, although the degree to which such legislation was enforced is unclear. In contrast to pagan worship, the practice of Judaism was never banned.

The policies of Emperor Justinian (527-65) were especially repressive not only towards Jews, but also Samaritans, Manichaeans, pagans and those the Christians regarded as heretics. Jews remember a long history of persecution because they survived. Pagans were even more strongly persecuted but, because they did not survive that persecution, we rarely acknowledge their persecution.

Answer:

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Answer 3

Hitler made it sound as if all Jewish people were the causes for the worlds problems and they were to blam for everything. Blacks, gypsies and others were killed simply because they were different and Hitler didn't like it.

Answer 4

It is not so much the religion that has been objected to, rather the religious practices. This was the reason that Christianity became antisemitic in the second and third centuries and why now Jews who do not keep up their religious practices are better accepted into society (for example most Jews in the US are 'reform Jews' who have discarded many facets of their faith).

Answer 5

Because Adolf Hitler believed that Germans, being inherently superior human beings, were threatened to their very existence by the inherently inferior Jews. The threat to the Supermen from the Subhumans was so great that the only option was to exterminate them as though they were vermin.

Actually it was because Hitler and his Nazis were jealous of the success many Jews have in life because of their disciplined and hard working approach to life.

Answer 6

Historians have listed six explanations as to why some people hate the Jews:
1) Economic: Some people hate Jews because "they possess too much wealth and power."
2) Chosen People: Some hate the Jews because Jews claim that they are the chosen people (Exodus ch.19 and other passages).
3) Scapegoat: Jews seem to be a convenient group to single out and blame for the troubles of society.
4) Deicide: Some hate the Jews "because they killed Jesus."
5) Outsiders: Some hate the Jews "because they are different than us." (Xenophobia.)
6) Racial Theory: Some hate the Jews "because they are an inferior race."

As we examine the explanations, we must ask: Are they causes for anti-Semitism or excuses for it? The difference being, that if one takes away the cause, then anti-Semitism should no longer exist. If one can show a contradiction to the explanation, it demonstrates that the "cause" is not a reason, it is just an excuse.Let's look at some of the contradictions:

Economic -- The Jews of 17th- 19th century Poland and Russia were dirt poor and had no influence, and yet they were hated.

Chosen People -- a) In the late 19th century, most Jews of Germany denied "Chosenness;" and they assimilated. Yet the holocaust started there.

b) Christians and Moslems also profess to being the "Chosen people," but the world and the anti-Semites tolerate them.

Scapegoat -- Any group must already be hated to be an effective scapegoat. The Scapegoat theory does not cause anti-Semitism. Rather, anti-Semitism is what makes the Jews a convenient target. Hitler's ranting and ravings would not be taken seriously if he said, "It's the bicycle riders and the midgets who are destroying our society."

Deicide -- a) the Christian Bible says the Romans killed Jesus, with Jews mentioned as accomplices. (The claims that Jews directly killed Jesus came several hundred years later). Why are the alleged accomplices persecuted, but there hasn't been an anti-Roman movement through history?

b) Jesus himself said, "Forgive them [i.e., the Jews], for they know not what they do." And the Second Vatican Council in 1963 officially exonerated the Jews as the killers of Jesus. Neither of these events lessened anti-Semitism.

Outsiders -- With the Enlightenment in the late 18th century, many Jews rushed to assimilate. Anti-Semitism should have stopped. Instead, for example, the Nazis proclaimed in essence: We hate you, not because you're different, but because you're trying to become like us! We cannot allow you to "infect" the Aryan race with your "inferior genes."

Racial Theory -- The overriding problem with this theory is that it is self-contradictory: Jews are not a race. Anyone can become a Jew - and members of every race, creed and color in the world have done so at one time or another.

Answer 7

They were blamed for killing Jesus Christ, and their customs didn't make sense to many people.

Answer 8

Because they suppossedly killed Jesus.

Answer 9

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