A Rumor About the Jews: Reflections on Antisemitism and the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion
A Rumor About the Jews: Reflections on Antisemitism and the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion
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What is Judaism?What is Religion?What is Christianity?What is Islam?What is Sikhism?
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Book Review: A Rumor About the Jews: Reflections on Antisemitism
Book Review: A Rumor About the Jews: Reflections on Antisemitism
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History of Judeophobia
Bronner begins his history of antisemitism by tracing the history of "Judeophobia" (his word for antisemitism of this sort) in the ancient world when people's distrust was aimed more at Judaism than at the Jews themselves. What upset pagan rivals was the "arrogance" of Judaism's exclusivity and monotheism. There also existed some economic envy directed at successful Jews, but poorer Jews escaped the negative attention.
The development of Christian antisemitism was much more dangerous because all Jews, even the secular or poor, became demonized. The blood of Jesus was considered to be on all their heads and, over time, people believed that they were in league with Satan. The goal of Satan and his minions was, of course, to overthrow "Christian civilization" with their insidious doctrines like secularism or liberalism.
With this background, it wasn't hard for people to find credible the thesis of 'Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion' that Jews were scheming to economically, politically, and culturally replace Christian civilization. This was based on realistic fears of losers in the march to democratic freedoms and modernity, but it was all combined with the paranoid fantasies of religious myths.
Today, antisemitism is much less fashionable or acceptable among many in the far-right, but their fears about modernity have not lessened. This means that they require a new scapegoat, at least for their more public complaints. Although no group is as attractive for this role as Jews (given their long history as social outcasts), communists, and more recently humanists, have taken on the job.
Everything that is wrong with society is condemned today as being caused by the "humanists" who, despite their small numbers, have managed to gain control over everything. Sometimes Jews join the humanists, but understanding antisemitism can help in better understanding the nature of anti-humanism which is becoming more common.
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