Q: Why do people hate the Jews?

"Many people make racist comments about them, and I do not think they understand why they are doing so. Why has their history been so harsh?"

There are two parts to your question. First, there is the question of racism in general. Historically, the Jews are not the only people who have experienced extreme racism. For instance, a few years ago, I was in London, England and visited an exhibit about the genocide of Nanking (or "The Rape of Nanking"). In December of 1937, hundreds of thousands of Chinese were murdered and raped over the course of six weeks by Japanese soldiers. The exhibit brought about emotions of angry, sadness and moved me to tears. Some, such as author Iris Chang, have called Nanking, "The Forgotten Holocaust" - meaning most people only know of the Jewish Holocaust, but are unaware of this one. Racism affects every ethnic group, in every generation.

Theologically, the reason why racism happens is because it is a sin. It's a form of pride, whereby you think you are better than someone else because of the colour of your skin. Like all other sins, it is an evil act that is contrary to the will of God (See Galatians 3:28, Revelation 7:9-10), who made each human being in his own image (Gen. 1:27). Thus, as Christ-followers, Christians ought to fight against racism. The church should be a living example of racial harmony, characterized by the inclusion of people from all racial backgrounds.

The second part of your question is difficult to answer because racism toward people of Jewish descent goes back many centuries. In fact, historically, Anti-Semitism (i.e. racism toward the Jews) has been known as the "longest hatred." There have been a multitude of books written about the history and impact of Anti-Semitism, so I suggest you go to your local library or visit Amazon.ca to find resources on this matter. HERE is one article that may prove useful. Part of the article reads:

Although anti-Semitism goes back to ancient history, its greatest impetus came as a result of the accusation that the Jews committed deicide, the killing of God by the crucifixion of Christ. It was vehemently asserted that the sole guilt for the death of Jesus Christ must lie with the Jews. Maintaining the guilt of the Jews, the church, primarily composed of Gentiles by this time, sought to "repay" the guilty party, a "repayment" enacted in the name of Christ and for the glory of God. But is it really true that [Jews] bear the sole guilt for the death of Jesus?

It then goes on to argue that Christians should not blame the Jews for the death of Christ:

...without removing human responsibility, it is obvious that God Himself determined that the Messiah must die. Whatever the Romans, the Gentiles, or the peoples of Israel did in the first century, they fulfilled whatever the hand and purpose of God predestined (Acts 4:28). It was divine imperative, the Messiah of Israel must die in order to become the Savior of the world. Isaiah, the prince of our Jewish prophets, predicted such a voluntary death some 700 years before the coming of Jesus the Messiah (Isa.52:13-53:12). It was the Lord who "caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him" (Isa. 53:6). It pleased the Lord "to crush Him, putting Him to grief" (Isa. 53:10). Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would go to His death willingly, "like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so he did not open His mouth" (Isa. 53:7).

[Answered by Pastor HM]