Why have Jews suffered persecution for the last 2000 years?

It seems that all through history, since Jesus was a lad, Jews have been persecuted by many cultures from the Spanish Inquisition to Nazi Germany.

Why do they suffer so much?

 

What do you think is the reason?

 

I'm not sure, that is why I posed the question.

 

Because of Christian mythology.

 

Centuries before Christ have the chosen people of God been tormented.

 

Here in the U.S. we've heard some of our more insensitive broadcasters, candidates, lawmakers, and others make remarks that rape victims were "asking for it". Could this be the same cause as the persecution of Jews?

 

I think we should of let them come to America, offering them a home away from Germany in the middle of Muslims of whom many would feel threatened they may try to reclaim the gold dome was not a smart move for future peace for the Jewish people

 

Moving "Israel" to the U.S. would be impossible. The "Holy Land" is immovable, all of the Big Three religions got their start there, that's the reason for the hatred and the violence.

Moving the Israelis to the U.S. would be the same as trying move the residents of Liverpool to Madagascar and claiming it to be the home of the Beatles.

 

And so it was for every other nomadic tribe in the area. Jews were no different, it's just that Christianity has named them "special" for killing the Messiah.

 

This is my personal belief.

I think it began when they conquered the land of Canaan, which was already settled by the Egyptians. In conquering that land they committed many atrocities and destroyed everything they got their hands on in order to cleanse the land so they could settle there, as per God's command. This took them into conflict with Egypt, then Egypt took them as slaves.

This is my personal belief, but I have very little academic work to back it up.

 

Lol. Not it wasn't. It was settled by the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

Lol. Canaan was conquered after the Jews escaped Egyptian captivity(The Exodus)

You can say that again.

 

Okay, except for the asshaterey, I was wrong. Canaan was indeed conquered after the Exodus.

Boy, you make a mistake and people really freak out about it.

But Canaan was still under control of the Egyptians.

 

jealousy, resentment, regular old prejudice.

 

Sorry I didn't mean to be rude. At the time of Joshua's conquest of Canaan Egyptian influence in the area was in decline and the Assyrians and Hittites influence on the rise. The reason the inhabitants were wiped out was one of necessity. The Israelites were essentially a guerrilla force deep behind enemy lines. The Sinai was their strategic depth and they couldn't leave hostile populations in their rear - they would've cut off their lines of communication. And they had no means to hold prisoners of war. Additionally the Canaanites were worshippers of Baal and practiced child sacrifice. Additionally, they made a treaty with the Gibeonites and spared them even though the Gibeonites had deceived them.

 

It primarily stems from religion, penis envy (no I am not making a joke here) and greed.

In ancient times they had a different religion and pagans attacked them for it, outlawing many of their religious practices.

When Christianity came about, it was because of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the ones that had Jesus arrested and tried and they turned him over to the Romans who were the ones who crucified him. But this is problematic at best.

if you read works by people like Martin Luther they were highly critical of how Jews worshiped god and felt they had to correct this behavior.

The Spanish Inquisitions was about converted Jews to take their gold so Spain could finance their wars and Imperialism.

The Roman Catholic Church forced them to live in ghettos and to attend their Christian Church.

I personally believe that European antisemitism before Hitler was the result of penis envy, and no I am not making a joke. This is expressed in works by Wagner and what led to the Ostara magazine that Hitler drew upon to shape his beliefs. Some aristocrats thought a small penis was a sign of Aristocracy while large penises were the signs of plebes, and many women left their husbands for the Jews because the Jews had large penises. No, I don't understand this at all.

Then came Israel and the Middle East conflict which is again primarily a religious conflict.

So, that's my attempt to put things into perspective.

 

Holy crap, that was a bit of an underhanded, but still recognizable slam at the Jews. So you think they are asking for it huh?

 

We're the chosen people=) Oiy. But seriously, its more to do with being generally better than everyone. People hate the best=)

 

I think this has a lot to do with why people hate the Jews,
"And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain. Deuteronomy 2:34

And we utterly destroyed them, ... utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city. Deuteronomy 3:6

And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them. Deuteronomy 7:2

And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them. Deuteronomy 7:16

Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. Deuteronomy 13:15

But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth. Deuteronomy 20:16-17

And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. Joshua 6:21

So smote all the country ... he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. Joshua 10:40

Thus saith the LORD of hosts ... go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 1 Samuel 15:2-3"

 

lol, you know what people hate more than that? People who think they are the best

 

Part of this is because since the Jews were kicked out of Israel because of religious wars they became traveling merchants essentially because they had no other choice, but in turn that made them EXTREMELY wealthy because the only thing they could do was go around selling things because nobody wanted them there to stay lol. So since they got uber wealthy, people began hating them for that too. Oh, and they killed Christ, people were pretty pissed about that too especially Mel Gibson. Also they were the first monotheists, causing a lot more hate to be spread through the generations.

 

Yes but that goes for any race/ethnicity, but why are the Jews focused on more than other races I believe is his question.

 

Actually in the modern age Christians focus more on atheists rather than Jews. But that's because atheists are exercising their rights and being pretty vocal about the discrimination they face.

 

I have no dog in the fight on this issue. My post was simply a metaphor on attitudes. Some people believe the Jews are persecuted, while others do not, or are anti-Semites.

In the U.S., are homosexuals persecuted? Yes, but not by all Americans.

 

Started out with religious biases. Early Christians were horribly abused by Jews so when Christians came to dominate the Roman Empire and thus Europe they returned the favor.

People would not sell land to Jews so Jews became adept at work that did not required land ownership like banking and financial services. As economies evolved these professions gained massive importance and non Jews resented the fact that Jews already had a "leg up" in these.

The image of Jews as "money men" persists to this day

 

Declaring you're God's chosen people and the universe revolves around you has left a bad taste in everyone's mouths since the religion was founded.