George wrote: So if there was anti-semitism in some Christian practice, it was just a local and temporary offshoot from anti-Judaism that was unfortunately more entrenched in how Christians saw themselves.

Dear George,

You are making a distinction that I don't find important. I really don't care whether Jews were dehumanised, discriminated against, put in ghettoes, tortured and massacred because of anti-semitism or anti-Judaism. The ground was fertile for the anti-semitism of the Nazis because of the years of anti-Judaism of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church signed a concordat which it never broke with Hitler. The Christian churches in Germany with few exceptions supported the Nazis. The Holocaust would not have happened if years of Jew hatred justified by New Testament accounts had not preceded the Holocaust. In my grandmother's village of Eishyshok the local Catholics heard a sermon after the slaughter. On page 594 of There Once was a World:

“On Sunday, September 28, 1941, the tolling of the bells at the bells at the Juryzdyki church called the people to worship, just as it did every Sunday, and the sanctuary was filled to capacity, just as it always was. The pews were lined with people in their Sunday best, which in many cases had been the Sabbath best of their Jewish neighbors, whose homes they had looted. Ostrauskas [the Lithuanian chief of police who had murdered Jewish children by smashing them against stones] was there, and was observed to make confession. While the freshly covered graves were still moving and still spouting blood, the parishioners listened to their priest explain to them that the Jews had at last been called to account for the killing of Christ. The priest himself had not advocated killing them; nor did he approve of the looting of Jewish homes. In fact, at least one account says that he asked any one in the congregation wearing stolen Jewish clothes to leave (although no one did). But he seemed to feel that the murder was understandable. Even if it was wrong, a kind of justice had been done.

Dear George,

You make a distinction that I don't find important when you differentiate anti-semitism from anti-Judaism. It doesn't matter whether Jews were dehumanised, ghettoed, tortured and massacred because of anti-semitism or anti-Judaism. The years of anti-Judaism of the Catholic Church made fertile ground for the anti-semitism of the Nazis .

The Catholic Church signed a concordat with Hitler. The Christian churches in Germany with few exceptions supported the Nazis. The Holocaust would not have happened if years of Jew hatred justified by New Testament accounts had not preceded the Holocaust. In my grandmother's village of Eishyshok the local Catholics heard a sermon after the slaughter. On page 594 of There Once was a World:

“On Sunday, September 28, 1941, the tolling of the bells at the bells at the Juryzdyki church called the people to worship, just as it did every Sunday, and the sanctuary was filled to capacity, just as it always was. The pews were lined with people in their Sunday best, which in many cases had been the Sabbath best of their Jewish neighbors, whose homes they had looted. Ostrauskas [the Lithuanian chief of police who had murdered Jewish children by smashing them against stones] was there, and was observed to make confession. While the freshly covered graves were still moving and still spouting blood, the parishioners listened to their priest explain to them that the Jews had at last been called to account for the killing of Christ. The priest himself had not advocated killing them; nor did he approve of the looting of Jewish homes. In fact, at least one account says that he asked any one in the congregation wearing stolen Jewish clothes to leave (although no one did). But he seemed to feel that the murder was understandable. Even if it was wrong, a kind of justice had been done.”

Lithuania was a multicultural society. There were Crusades against Lithuania for no other reason than the refusal of the pagan ruling house to become Catholic. After great loss of life Lithuania gave in and became Christian in 1386

George,
Long before Jesus or Christianity existed the Jews were continually sought to be destroyed off the face of the Earth (even in Moses time while in Egypt they were seen as an exclusive nation within a nation) and during the time of Christ the Romans tried to exterminate their freedom fighters, so anti-semetic hostilities did not start with Christ Jesus as you believe. However some persons of a pseudo Christian background sought excuse to exterminate people who considered themselves a national tribe within their nation and saw them as dividing their loyalties.

It was not and has never been devout followers of Christ teachings who on the basis of that truth have excited extermination of the Jews. The Bible no where persecutes or calls for eradication of the Jewish people. The only religious writings that do is the Koran and it is stated emphatically and uniquivatly they must be exterminated in the name of Allah. This conflict still exists even today on the basis of Islam. What predominantly Christian nation houses the majority of the Jews today?

Some truth and balance ought to be recorded here!

I guess Philo is right that the Jewish nation suffered persecution long before JC; I suppose their very cohesiveness almost demanded it.
In more recent centuries however, I have always wondered how big a role usury played in the discrimination process.
Whereas Islam continues to condemn usury, Christians also had strict laws against the process since Jesus drove the money changers from the Temple, up until Henry V111 found them as inconvenient as ex wives.
I'm sure Oliver could supply the name of the church philosopher who claimed charging interest was like "charging for the cake, then charging again for the eating of the cake"; escapes me at the moment.
The Jewish law against usury only applied to other Jews. I know Hitler was more than disgruntled that while good Germans (and at least one Austrian) fought and were wounded fighting for their country, the Jews stayed home and 'profiteered' -at least, from his point of view.
In short, how much hatred was because they were 'Christ killers', and how much because they were Shylocks?
This ties in with the class question, on another thread. When a tribe makes laws that discriminate against members of another tribe...

Israeli Massacres:Details and Numbers
details
http://dprogram.net/2009/07/31/israeli-massacres-details-and-numbers/

Although the Image..that Israel distributes about herself is that of an oppressed nation,..it is with heavy hearts..that..these crimes that stand for themselves...revealing the brutality of..and the heartlessness of its soldiers..who seem to have a thirst for blood.

It is for the hope that secular thiests..may see a clearer picture that..these painful facts reveal...in only one racist regime..It is interesting to notice that today’s media..does not dwell on these crimes..as they do..on the other daily hollowcosts arround the world..malay-sia/chine/iraq/pakistan/timour/geogia/gaza...seing a pattern?

They are reported in the news for a week or a day..then swept into the sea of oblivion...Those who attempt to revive the true history of Israel..and other genocides of indigenants..are charged of being anti-Semitic...So with the hope to keep those memories in mind we present..the role of israel/Goliath is more interesting than that of David/muslim's.

The following list of israelie/massacres is by no means exclusive,..but they reflect the nature..of the Zionist occupation of Palestine and Lebanon..and show that massacres and expulsions..that happen in any war,..organized atrocities that have..only one aim,..that is to have a Zionist state which is..‘goyim rein’.

The King David Massacre
The Massacre at Baldat al-Shaikh
YEHIDA MASSACRE
KHISAS MASSACRE
QAZAZA MASSACRE
The Semiramis Hotel Massacre
The Massacre at Dair Yasin
NASER AL-DIN MASSACRE
THE TANTURA MASSACRE
BEIT DARAS MASSACRE
THE DAHMASH MOSQUE MASSACRE
DAWAYMA MASSACRE
HOULA MASSACRE
SHARAFAT MASSACRE
Salha Massacre
The Massacre at Qibya
KAFR QASEM MASSACRE
Khan Yunis Massacre
The Massacre in Gaza City
AL-SAMMOU’ MASSACRE
Aitharoun Massacre
Kawnin Massacre
Hanin Massacre
Bint Jbeil Massacre
Abbasieh Massacre
Adloun Massacre
Saida Massacre
Fakhani Massacre
Beirut Massacre Sabra And Shatila Massacre
Jibsheet Massacre
Sohmor Massacre
Seer Al Garbiah
Maaraka Massacres
Zrariah Massacre
Homeen Al-Tahta Massacre
Jibaa Massacre
Yohmor Massacre
Tiri massacre
Al-Naher Al-Bared Massacre
Ain Al-Hillwee Massacre
OYON QARA MASSACRE
Siddiqine Massacre
AL-AQSA MOSQUE MASSACRE
THE IBRAHIMI MOSQUE MASSACRE
THE JABALIA MASSACRE
Aramta Massacre
ERETZ CHECKPOINT MASSACRE
Deir Al-Zahrani Massacre
Nabatiyeh (school bus) Massacre
Mnsuriah Massacre
The Sohmor Second Massacre
Nabatyaih Massacre
Qana Massacre
Trqumia Massacr
Janta Massacre
24 Of June 1999 Massacres
Western Bekaa villages Massacre

Grim,
There is no example of Jesus condemning usury. In fact he used the example of gaining interest on talents comparing its wise use to one's ability to gain more talents. The condemning of the Roman stooges putting taxes on animals to be sacrificed is what Jesus condemned. Give to God what is God's and to Rome what is Rome. In fact Josephus identifies that 300 Jesw were crucified by the Romans along with Jesus at the time for objecting to paying taxes on sanctified temple animals. Jesus by his own words payed taxes to Rome. The Romans were raising money to build a 3 mile water duct into Jerusalem.