Hatred

[Meatball]

I know this isnt the place for political discussions. But while reading a message board on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict (YAHOO), i found that after 2 minutes, a majority of the posts go from the issues (regardless of what side your on) to blind hatred of jews. The venom and intesity of these posts, often backed up by comments like " Holocaust overexagerrated" or "Jewish wealth" is staggering. Many unwitting people repsond to these posts with "is that true"? The ratio of jew haters to defenders is easily 10:1
My question is -as a non jew i wonder - where does hate like this come from? why is it so prevelant? how can it be combated ?

[Pootertoot]

The holocaust wasn't so bad...it made some good lampshades...

Alright, I'm just kidding, but the Jews have been persecuted from DAY ONE. It's amazing they've survived for so long...in Roman times they were barely tolerated, and to this day that, quite unfortunately , is still the norm. The reason is, boiling it down and not waxing intellectual on it (I'll let the Horde King himself do that), is because they seperate themselves by both Race AND Creed, two of the most often used reasons for discrimination (I know some would argue they're not a race of people, but, placed in historical context, and for the purposes of this argument, they are).

They were a people entirely seperate from the culture they lived in. Keep in mind that througout history, religious diversity was basically a seperation of borders, and the Jews were a religious sect interspersed everywhere. They looked different, they followed different laws, had odd customs, and worshipped a different god. To quote Juvenal:

They despise Roman laws...they have this man Moses...they smell of candles and tunny fish tails...they practice circumcision...


These are just a few of one man' complaints, obviously spawning from a gross misunderstanding of the Jews' practices. Add to that their being forced into Moneylending (a highly unpopular activity, which I'm sure you know if you've read "The Merchant of Venice") by Christians, and you have what makes for a very unpopular group of people.

Eh...I was distracted throughout this whole thing...I hope it helps anyway, though.

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[girl germs]

<i>"where does hate like this come from? why is it so prevelant? how can it be combated ?"</i>

"it is far easier to make war than to make peace."


i think that's why hatred is so prevalent. it's easier to get angry at someone right off the bat than to try to understand where they are coming from. it's easier to be violent than to try to control yourself and find some nonviolent way to solve a dispute. hatred seems to be everywhere. our own world leaders practice hate, but how can this change? i think it would change if people made peace an individual responsibility. peace and compassion are not that unrealistic.


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This message was edited by girl germs on 5-17-01 @ 11:33 PM

[Pootertoot]

You also have to account for the fact that it's much easier to hate an entire group than to look at each person as an individual. I'm much more articulate at night.

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[HordeKing1]

I have to say, I'm very pissed at myself. I typed a two page response to MORTICIAN'S age-old question, but it seems not to have posted. Since I have finals tomorrow and monday, it might be some time before I can address this issue w/the full treatment it deserves.

I just wonder what happened to my reply? Lost in the ether somewhere. Maybe John the skinhead will get it : )

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[The Blowhard]

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God"


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"One million posts by June...Heckler"!

[HordeKing1]

Anti-Semites have advanced many arguments as to why they hate Jews. None stand up to serious scrutiny and are easily deconstructed.

Frequently citied reasons:
1. Jews killed Christ. Not true. By all historical accounts, Church documents and confirmed by numerous Popes, Jesus was killed by Roman soldiers. Jews have never used crucifixion as a form of punishment. Anyway does it make sense to hate an entire race (Romans) or their religion (polytheism) because of the action of a few? Of course not! Moreover, Christian teachings state that Jesus was born into this world to die in it and atone for our sins. Based on this, you would think that the people responsible for his death would be lauded, not hated, as their actions caused the salvation of the entire world. And yet not only are the individual Roman soldiers who did the actual crucifixion not praised, but an entirely separate group (not individuals), a religious group that Jesus himself was part of was hated...

2. Another theme that occurs with regularity is Jew's obstinacy to refuse to accept the teachings of "The one true God." (I'm sorry but I have to laugh at that because there have been thousands of "one true gods". Christians have been trying to convert the Jewish heathens almost from the start. Anyone study the numerous Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition or the Jews for Jesus movement? It's interesting how the same hatred and desire to convert isn't expressed towards Buddhists, Moslems or Atheists or Polytheists. I once asked a skinhead to explain this very contradictory stance to me. After I explained to him what these big polysyllabic words meant, he said "But they're not Jews." No contradiction was apparent to him. He "knew" he was right. Logic was not a factor. A more frightening comment made by him was that even if Jews convert they are still Jews.

This was the very attitude adopted by Hitler. To him it made no difference if you were a practicing orthodox, conservative or reform Jew, an atheist or even Christian. If one parent or grandparent were born a Jew than you were a Jew as well and as such condemned to death. By the way did you know that Hitler consulted with the Pope before beginning his war of genocide against the Jews and received the Pope's blessing to exterminate the "vermin." The Church has apologized numerous times, but had they not given their explicit approval who knows what would have happened.

3. Another biggie - Jews separate themselves from the community by only living in Jewish neighborhoods. This one is perhaps the most baffling to me. Most cultures tend to stay in neighborhoods reflecting their common heritage. This is not restricted to country of geographic origin or religious affiliation or even socioeconomic status. Until VERY recently Jews had no choice about where they could live. People just did not sell to Jews. The places Jews lived were thus not called "neighborhoods," they were called "Ghettos."

There are many more senseless propositions put forth, but they all boil down to one thing - prejudice, fear and hatred of anything different.

Where does this attitude come from? Things are rarely learned in a vacuum. Kids are not born hating anyone. It is a learned behavior. If they are raised by parents or hang out with friends who preach hatred, they too will learn to hate. If they are raised by tolerant parents and associate with friends who understand that it is OK to be friends with people who are different than you and that it is fine to agree to disagree about some issues, than the world would be a much better place.


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