[Vienna]

(Original post by shadowkin)
You know very well that it has a wider meaning than that.

Such as?

AND, it is not based on Jewish ethnicity.

It is based on discrimination against Jews. To be Jewish is to belong to the Jewish ethnic group.

Unless you are claiming it is a new word that has been coined from 'semite'.

Anti-Semitic popularly refers to discrimination against the Jewish ethnic group.

[shadowkin]

(Original post by vienna95)
Such as?

The fact that 'The most prominent Semites today are Arabs and Jews' means that this coinage by the German journalist is actually flawed.

It is based on discrimination against Jews. To be Jewish is to belong to the Jewish ethnic group.

Anti-Semitic popularly refers to discrimination against the Jewish ethnic group.

POPULARY. Yes, because it isn't the correct usage of the word at all. It like me taking the term Asian and calling people 'anti-asian' yet only referring to Chinese people. It isn't linguistically, or semantically accurate.

[Weejimmie]

Antisemitism changed in its history. It began as prejudice against jews because of their religion which could be averted by conversion. Then it became a prejudice against jews as a race. Whether jews are a race objectively is irrelevant: jews were perceived as a race, meaning that anyone whose ancestors had been jews, regardless of the religions they followed or didn't follow now was a member of that group and treated as such. The antisemite's definition of jews includes people that no-one else would consider jews. "I decide who's jewish." said the infamous Karl Lueger and the others go along with him.

[Vienna]

(Original post by shadowkin)
The fact that 'The most prominent Semites today are Arabs and Jews' means that this coinage by the German journalist is actually flawed.

POPULARY. Yes, because it isn't the correct usage of the word at all. It like me taking the term Asian and calling people 'anti-asian' yet only referring to Chinese people. It isn't linguistically, or semantically accurate.

I prefer to discuss the validity of a statement based on accepted dictionary definitions, not what you tell me you think the word means.

[thefish_uk]

(Original post by Weejimmie)
Antisemitism changed in its history. It began as prejudice against jews because of their religion which could be averted by conversion. Then it became a prejudice against jews as a race. Whether jews are a race objectively is irrelevant: jews were perceived as a race, meaning that anyone whose ancestors had been jews, regardless of the religions they followed or didn't follow now was a member of that group and treated as such. The antisemite's definition of jews includes people that no-one else would consider jews. "I decide who's jewish." said the infamous Karl Lueger and the others go along with him.

I see what you mean... but what would the antisemites definition of a Jew be? Somebody who has a mother who is Jewish? Because that's what a Jew classes a Jew as! It is also accepted within Judaism that you are a Jew as long as your mother was one, even if you totally reject the religion, because it is hereditary. That's the only way in which Judaism is like a race, I think.

[naivesincerity]

(Original post by vienna95)
Yes, they are synonymous. Judaism is a religion, and it is possible to be anti-Semitic in religious criticism. However, a Jewish ethnicity exists that is not a race, but defines a minority group based on attributes, hereditary or otherwise, that can not be dismissed as ideology. Racism is discrimination based on race. Anti-Semitism is based on discrimination against Jewish ethnicity. Both being invidious.

Whats the difference between race and ethnicity?

[cheesecakebobby]

The nazis had great trouble pinpointing exactly what the term "Jewish" entailed. They tried to imply that being Jewish was to be of a certain race, inherently inferior to the aryans, but how could they identify this race? They could sometimes go on religion, but what of those in jewish families who rejected their faith? They tried to use stereotypical images of jews, but of course Jews all looked different. In the end they said a Jew was anyone who had at least one Jewish grandparent. Which of course means just as much: nothing.

I personally hate the term "race" as it has no fixed meaning. There is only the human race, and characteristics which are similar between people with similar genes. To say being Jewish is to do with race is just the ignorant and illogical attitude the Nazis took. There is a Jewish religion, with many variations, and there are cultural aspects which many Jews choose to adopt. The same is true with any other group of people.

[Fusion]

In one of our politics debates at school before someone said that the reason for the surge in anti-semitism was that jews were powerfull but do not have the strength to match that power which is why they speak out so much about the tiniest of remarks towards jews.

[cheesecakebobby]

(Original post by esx77)
In one of our politics debates at school before someone said that the reason for the surge in anti-semitism was that jews were powerfull but do not have the strength to match that power which is why they speak out so much about the tiniest of remarks towards jews.

What? Have power but lack strength, what the hell does that mean? And way to generalise. Give this person a slap from me.

[Vienna]

(Original post by naivesincerity)
Whats the difference between race and ethnicity?

Race is strictly biological.

ethnicity

n : an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties;

[Vienna]

(Original post by cheesecakebobby)
To say being Jewish is to do with race is just the ignorant and illogical attitude the Nazis took. There is a Jewish religion, with many variations, and there are cultural aspects which many Jews choose to adopt. The same is true with any other group of people.

"which many Jews choose to adopt"? what defines someone as being Jewish?

[Socrates]

(Original post by vienna95)
"which many Jews choose to adopt"? what defines someone as being Jewish?

Race is strictly biological, ethinicity encompasses something wider, including personal freedom.

So you are claiming all Jews are biologically related? I'd love to see the evidence.

[Well Suited]

Being anti-semitic is being against the Jewish faith. Anyone who has a love of their own religion is therefore anti-semitic by default. You can be friends with a Jew without being racist but is you value your religion over their's you are anti-semitic.

Under English Law Judaism is not a race. Therefore in this country it is impossible for a person to be a racist because they are anti-semitic.

[DenverDiva]

Is anti-semitism synonymous with racism?

Not if you have any idea what "synonymous" means.

Is anti-semitism a form of racism? Yes, as Semites are members of the group of peoples which speak one of the Semitic languages - Jews, Arabs and Ancient Babylonians amongst others.

[Jamie]

(Original post by Howard)
Well the jews all originate from one area so I'd presume they are sort of related. Whether anti-semitism is racism or not is a bit academic though. Do those who are anti-semitic occupy the moral high ground (because they are religiously predjudiced) over those who are racially predjudiced because of skin color?

It's two sides of the same coin IMO.

Hmmm, well bigotry against religion is now better than bigotry against race, but i have to say no to this poll. Jews are NOT all inter-related. i know we love this stereotype of the dark haired jew, but it doesn't always hold anymore than the muslim stereotypes.
Hence as racism by its own definition is bigotry by race, anti-semittism isn't intrinsically racism. Thats not to say that some people don't think of it like a racism - ie hating someone because their parents were jewish (even if they arent)

[Vienna]

(Original post by Well Suited)
Being anti-semitic is being against the Jewish faith. Anyone who has a love of their own religion is therefore anti-semitic by default. You can be friends with a Jew without being racist but is you value your religion over their's you are anti-semitic.

Under English Law Judaism is not a race. Therefore in this country it is impossible for a person to be a racist because they are anti-semitic.

Being anti-semitic is showing hostility toward or discriminating against the Jewish ethnic group. This may be in the form of religious criticism, or in a form synonymous to racism if you discriminate based on ethnicity, both being invidious.

[Vienna]

(Original post by zaf1986)
So you are claiming all Jews are biologically related? I'd love to see the evidence.

No, im claiming that Jews are

"A member of the widely dispersed people originally descended from the ancient Hebrews and sharing an ethnic heritage based on Judaism"

ethnicity being - "an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties"

ethnic being - "Of or relating to a sizable group of people sharing a common and distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic, or cultural heritage."

[naivesincerity]

(Original post by vienna95)
Race is strictly biological.

ethnicity

n : an ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties;

Well then if people hold prejudice against Jews, and Jewishness is defined as not a race or a religion, but an "ethnicity", then we don't know if the prejudice is due to racial or cultural ties, therefore we still don't know the answer to the poll question.(By that logical basis, although, logic apart, my instinct says to me that its cultural/religious prejudice rather than racial)

[Vienna]

(Original post by naivesincerity)
Well then if people hold prejudice against Jews, and Jewishness is defined as not a race or a religion, but an "ethnicity", then we don't know if the prejudice is due to racial or cultural ties, therefore we still don't know the answer to the poll question.

Discrimination against ones ethnicity is still invidious, as is racism.
Religious criticism is not.

[naivesincerity]

(Original post by vienna95)
Discrimination against ones ethnicity is still invidious, as is racism.
Religious criticism is not.

Well religious criticism is invidious(by the definition i looked up) if you direct it at people who's religion you are criticising