# Jews are evil **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 22, 2011, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209 "2011-02-22T10:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/41 "2011-02-24T19:40:01Z")
There is, in fact, a compelling anthropological reason for the isolation and demonization of Jews in Europe (in particular). It’s a phenom that is by no means restricted to Jews. What is necesary is to have a reasonably rigidly stratified society, with a small upper class ruling a much larger traditional peasantry; and a small group of (tolerated) outsiders to the system. These people, having no local ties, fill the role of functionaries to the upper class - often undertaking unpopular jobs such as “moneylender” or “rent collecter” (Jews often did this job in, for example, Ukraine for Polish overlords). In short, to fill out a sort of middle class. In traditional society, the upper class cannot do these tasks without losing caste, and the peasantry generally cannot because it would alienate them from existing communal ties, or lead to excessive ‘corruption’ of the letting-the-brother-in-law-off-the-rent-hook kind. A “tolerated” outsider group fills the gap; in the case of Jews, they were “tolerated” by official Christian doctrine but not considered part of society; their ties were to each other, not to the mass of pesantry; the upper class protected them from the wrath of the peasants, while “milking” them (thus not arousing anger against itself). In England, for example, Jews were considered officially the ‘property’ of the English Crown which set up a special “Exchequer of the Jews” and thus profited from money-lending without appearing to do any itself. The system breaks down when an indgenous non-minority middle class springs up. The “tolerated” group is no longer necessary and so is soon discarded (that is, official protection is withdrawn). In Western Europe, for example, the Jews lost their monopoly on banking activities to such groups as the Templars and then the Italian banking families - no longer needed, the monarchs which once protected them sometimes decided to make one last profit by expropriating all their money and expelling them (as I believe Edward I of England did). > **[Edict of Expulsion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Expulsion)** > > The Edict of Expulsion was a royal decree issued by Edward I of England on 18 July 1290 expelling all Jews from the Kingdom of England. Edward told the sheriffs of all counties he wanted all Jews expelled by no later than All Saints' Day (1 November) that year. The expulsion edict remained in force for the rest of the Middle Ages. The edict was not an isolated incident, but the culmination of over 200 years of increasing antisemitism in England. The edict was eventually overturned more than 350... Point is, that similar groups have a similar social niche - for example, the “Overseas Chinese” in Indonesia. To answer the question - Jews became officially wholly “evil” in Europe (as opposed to “tolerated”) when, as a class, they were considered no longer really necessary by the upper class. In the case of England, this has a more or less exact date: 1290. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/42 "2011-02-25T00:01:12Z")
Serving the upper class is certainly a factor. But Gypsies received similar treatment in Europe, and the only ones serving the upper class were slaves. American Indians were evil as soon as they were met by Europeans. Racism and religious hatred might be a factor also. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/43 "2011-02-25T14:41:37Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Serving the upper class is certainly a factor. But Gypsies received similar treatment in Europe, and the only ones serving the upper class were slaves. American Indians were evil as soon as they were met by Europeans. Racism and religious hatred might be a factor also. Obviously racism and religious hatred is a factor. The question though is why this particular situation (that of the Jews) differs from others. In this case, the religious hatred (and simultaneous closeness) explains why the Jews were both hated and tolerated: hated because they had ‘rejected Christ’, and yet simultaneously tolerated because that was official Church doctrine. Being both hated and tolerated made it possible for Jews to exist in the middle-class niche in Europe. Why did this 'tude of simultaneous hatred and tolerance change into one of simple hatred? That is explained by historical factors - notably, the process described above (and also the shattering of the unity of the medieval church, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/44 "2012-08-17T15:17:16Z")
That’s nice. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/45 "2012-08-17T15:19:48Z")
I get the feeling this thread is about to be locked. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/46 "2012-08-17T15:23:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Well, I’d think that those who hate Jews on a racial basis would say that Jews have always been evil because their genes have always been evil. That’s right. We’re a lesser breed, corrupt by virtue of our ethnic and genetic background. ---
**Author:** ![baka420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@baka420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baka420)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/47 "2012-08-17T15:38:00Z")
I have just never been able to understand anti-semitism… Why exactly do people hate people? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209/48 "2012-08-17T15:38:52Z")
This thread was revived just now by some jackass. I’ve banned him and removed his post, and I’m going to close this thread. If anyone’s interested in the original topic, send me a private message and I’ll consider reopening it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-are-evil/572209.md?page=2)