ANTISEMITISM

Politics and Social Issues
1

Some of you might be inserted in my short essay, at:
http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/food_for_thought.htm
Feel free to share it with all who might be interested, especially students.
Ludwik Kowalski

2

I was raised as a devout Baptist (Christian). It never occurred to me to blame Jews for the death of Jesus. The theology as I understood it was that Jesus had to die in order to sacrifice himself as a way of redeeming the sins of (potentially) everyone. In fact, I never even understood why Judas got such a bad rap, since someone had to betray Jesus.
But, anyway, another reason that Jews may generally be more prone to scapegoating by larger societies, may lie in their culture, which generally speaking, helps them to be relatively successful compared to other groups. That could make them a target for the less successful. Also, it is basic human nature, I think, to be suspicious of groups who highlight their differences.

3
It never occurred to me to blame Jews for the death of Jesus.
Christian anti-semits definitely found support in the bible, e.g. Matthew 27:25] (King James):
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
So the Jews' doom was called upon by themselves. Luckily enough even most fundamentalists do not take this seriously...
4
It never occurred to me to blame Jews for the death of Jesus.
Christian anti-semits definitely found support in the bible, e.g. Matthew 27:25] (King James):
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
So the Jews' doom was called upon by themselves. Luckily enough even most fundamentalists do not take this seriously... Yeah, they didn't teach that in any Southern Baptist Sunday school that I went to. And I don't recall any preacher blaming the Jews for Christ's death. It was taught that Jesus died to redeem our sins and ALL have sinned.
5

In my experience most anti-Semites aren’t coming from a religious angle, its more that they find Jewish people to be untrustworthy, or simply unlikable.

6
In my experience most anti-Semites aren't coming from a religious angle, its more that they find Jewish people to be untrustworthy, or simply unlikable.
That's what any racist would say, no matter what group is the object of his derision. Lois
7

Best book I ever read on Anti-Semistism was by Bernard Lazare, who himself was Jewish. He blames it on Jews themselves because they a) consider themselves the chosen few, i.e. better than everyone else, and b) they act upon that belief by never (or rarely) assimilating to whatever host country they find themselves. Moreover they have always tried not only to not assimilate but to have exceptions to local laws. So basically he says that’s a formula for garnering hate from others. Take that out of the context of Jews for example, and apply it to a neighbor on your block. What would you think if they never wanted to associate with you, got the city to exempt them from say association fees and rules, etc. I’ll bet you’d soon get pretty hateful even if you were quite accepting when they first moved in.

8

Mr. Kowalski may have good material to contribute but he never responds to questions or comments.

9

Jewish people are a bit scarce, relatively speaking, down here in Texas. So I have not known a lot. But the ones I have known, I would describe as persons of extraordinary quality.

10
Jewish people are a bit scarce, relatively speaking, down here in Texas. So I have not known a lot. But the ones I have known, I would describe as persons of extraordinary quality.
Ever wonder why Jews are so scarece in Texas? Jews make up about 2% of the US population. Why are they underrepresented in Texas--and in other redneck states? Seems odd.
11
Jewish people are a bit scarce, relatively speaking, down here in Texas. So I have not known a lot. But the ones I have known, I would describe as persons of extraordinary quality.
Ever wonder why Jews are so scarece in Texas? Jews make up about 2% of the US population. Why are they underrepresented in Texas--and in other redneck states? Seems odd. Probably a tendency to live closer to people who share a common cultural heritage. (Florida, btw, could be considered a redneck state, and has more than its 2% share of Jewish people.) I wish Texas had New York's percentage. Maybe Texas could then be, at least, a purple state.
12
Best book I ever read on Anti-Semistism was by Bernard Lazare, who himself was Jewish. He blames it on Jews themselves because they a) consider themselves the chosen few, i.e. better than everyone else, and b) they act upon that belief by never (or rarely) assimilating to whatever host country they find themselves. Moreover they have always tried not only to not assimilate but to have exceptions to local laws. So basically he says that's a formula for garnering hate from others. Take that out of the context of Jews for example, and apply it to a neighbor on your block. What would you think if they never wanted to associate with you, got the city to exempt them from say association fees and rules, etc. I'll bet you'd soon get pretty hateful even if you were quite accepting when they first moved in.
Good points. They have also been able to suppress any criticism of their activities since 1945 under the charge of "Antisemitism." That might be declining, however, as the people old enough to remember that era are dying off.
13
Jewish people are a bit scarce, relatively speaking, down here in Texas. So I have not known a lot. But the ones I have known, I would describe as persons of extraordinary quality.
Ever wonder why Jews are so scarece in Texas? Jews make up about 2% of the US population. Why are they underrepresented in Texas--and in other redneck states? Seems odd. Probably a tendency to live closer to people who share a common cultural heritage. (Florida, btw, could be considered a redneck state, and has more than its 2% share of Jewish people.) I wish Texas had New York's percentage. Maybe Texas could then be, at least, a purple state. Jews were fairly common in the South in the 18th and 19th centuries. http://www.economist.com/node/16166580
14
Best book I ever read on Anti-Semistism was by Bernard Lazare, who himself was Jewish. He blames it on Jews themselves because they a) consider themselves the chosen few, i.e. better than everyone else, and b) they act upon that belief by never (or rarely) assimilating to whatever host country they find themselves. Moreover they have always tried not only to not assimilate but to have exceptions to local laws. So basically he says that's a formula for garnering hate from others. Take that out of the context of Jews for example, and apply it to a neighbor on your block. What would you think if they never wanted to associate with you, got the city to exempt them from say association fees and rules, etc. I'll bet you'd soon get pretty hateful even if you were quite accepting when they first moved in.
Good points. They have also been able to suppress any criticism of their activities since 1945 under the charge of "Antisemitism." That might be declining, however, as the people old enough to remember that era are dying off.Moreover, in another book I read (can't recall the name though) the author made the point that after WW2 only the Jews used the Holocaust in the manner you mentioned even though there were numerous other minority groups who suffered similarly (though obviously not to the same extent). Other minority groups just went on living, whereas Jews (Zionists) leveraged the Holocaust to their own political and social advantage, again giving fodder to those who suspected all along that the Jews were up to no good - i.e. to those who openly or secretly sided with the Nazis.
15

Only 11% of Americans doubt or don’t believe in the existence of God. Half of Jewish Americans doubt or don’t believe in the existence of God. As religious cultures go, that seems rather enlightened to me.

16
Only 11% of Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. Half of Jewish Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. As religious cultures go, that seems rather enlightened to me.
Maybe Jewish people think they are God(s)?
17
Only 11% of Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. Half of Jewish Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. As religious cultures go, that seems rather enlightened to me.
Maybe Jewish people think they are God(s)? The ones who are Medical Doctors do. Lois
18
Only 11% of Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. Half of Jewish Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. As religious cultures go, that seems rather enlightened to me.
Maybe Jewish people think they are God(s)? That's an odd suggestion, in that it makes no sense.
19
Only 11% of Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. Half of Jewish Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. As religious cultures go, that seems rather enlightened to me.
Maybe Jewish people think they are God(s)? The ones who are Medical Doctors do. Lois This is not an odd suggestion, as it is obviously an attempt at humor.
20
Only 11% of Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. Half of Jewish Americans doubt or don't believe in the existence of God. As religious cultures go, that seems rather enlightened to me.
Maybe Jewish people think they are God(s)? That's an odd suggestion, in that it makes no sense.I mean to say Jews already have a high opinion of themselves, so maybe they worship themselves in place of a god?