If the vandalism of Jewish synagogues is considered persecution...?
...why isn't the vandalism of Christian churches?
magpie ix, here are some of the comments found at http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20080818111553AALjtpX&cp=2
"I believe that Christians are the ones doing the prosecuting; not the victims."
"They aren't being persecuted"
"There is not now nor has there ever been a persecution of Christians."
"Christians are NOT persecuted."
"I don't think Christians are being persecuted in America."
Since the vandalism of Christian church does happen, these people obviously do not regard it as persecution. It is entirely possible they feel the same way about the vandalism of Jewish synagogues, but I doubt it.
Spirit Wanderer II, yes, harming atheists just due to their religious stance is persecution. I'm sorry you weren't able to get any justice.
Here are links to articles on the vandalism of Christian churches:
Probably because of all the hatred leveled at Jews throughout history. We have to be vigilant and never allow another holocaust to happen. One was one too many.
Because Christian churches aren't sacred anymore. It's like vandalizing a bank or a political action committee headquarters. It's merely destruction of private property.
I haven't heard of any Christian churches being vandalized. But if they were then Fair's fair.
But why isn't harming atheists just due to their religious stance persecution? I'd say it is. Happened to me and my friends, went to tell the proper authorities, nothing happened.
Can you provide any evidence--any evidence at all--that the vandalism of Christian churches is considered less horrendous than the vandalism of a synagogue?
I didn't think so.
Edit: sorry, but quoting people saying that Christians aren't persecuted and then posting a completely unrelated list of church vandalism is not proof that vandalizing a church is not considered as wrong as vandalizing a synagogue.
anything done to any Jews, ever, is persecution by some people. If i punch a Jew in the face because he is attempting to rob me, it's because I'm antis emetic sometimes.
but usually, if someone is attacking any religious establishment, it's because they are most likely targeting that faith. so vandalism against churches is persecution just as equally as it would be a synagogue.
It should be. I guess it depends on the type of vandalism. Someone who breaks into either a church or Shul and steals valuables would not in my opinion be doing it persecute anyone.They are simply thieves looking for loot.
A crime where someone writes anti-Semitic messages on the door of a Shul would be considered persecution. A crime where someone wrote or painted anti-Christian slogans on a church would be guilty of persecution too in my opinion and probably also in the yes of the law.
If the underlying point of your question is to ask why anti-Christian bias is not seen the same as anti-Semitic bias, the answer is, it should be. Anyone who persecutes another group based on religion, should be seen biased and discriminatory.
Vandalism of certain Christian churches is considered persecution. For example, vandalism of black churches in the 1960's and to a certain extent today is considered persecution. During the 1920's and 1930's, vandalism of Catholic churches would be considered persecution.
For there to be persecution when there is vandalism, it must be done in such a way to impart fear on the part of the members of the religious place of worship. This vandalism leaves behind graffiti filled with hateful messages.
It depends on the motive for the vandalism.
If it's just a bunch of punk kids or belligerent drunks smashing a few windows in a church or synagogue, then it's just mindless vandalism on a random building. It's like a mugging, just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
If it is someone targeting a specific group for political, ethnic, or religious reasons, like angry men painting swastikas on a synagogue or the n-word on a black church, then that's a whole different sort of motive. It implies a specific and recurring threat to institution and to the people who are members of that institution, that you are being targeted because of your membership, and are therefore in danger wherever you go. So even though the act remains the same, the motive determines if it is a hate crime.
Christian churches aren't targeted as often as Jewish synagogues or Muslim mosques, simply because Christians are in the majority in this country. It is the outsiders or minorities in any group that make the easiest targets.
Persecution is a strong word and I would use it only in connection with Christians who are REALLY persecuted, which is being treated in justly by their government because of their religion, being insulted on a regular basis, being thrown into prison for exercising their faith, being murdered for their beliefs, not being allowed to meet as a congregation etc.
When Christians are a majority in a country, there can be speaking of anti-Christian attacks by whoever opposes them but this is not persecution. In America, Christians are a majority group. When American Christians speak of persecution, I find this extremely unfair towards the other Christians who are REALLY persecuted and are probably overlooked by many BECAUSE other Christians who are not really persecuted claim the term for themselves. Persecution is when the majority of a group SUFFERS because the rest of society or even the government don't let them exercise their faith properly or because the treat them in justly. It is not when a minority of the group gets attacked by an individual or other group within that society.
That said, by definition, really, the majority religion can't be 'persecuted'. The Christian history is not one of being the victims of persecution.
When Jewish synagogues are vandalized, you tend to find common themes: swastikas will be daubed on the building, and this also happens quite a lot at Jewish cemeteries, for example in France and the UK it does happen far more often than one might expect. That specific symbol IS persecution because we ALL know what it represents.
If it's a robbery, then I agree, that is not persecution.
If the vandalism of Jewish synagogues is considered persecution...?
