Canadian_watcher wrote: I don't view antisemitism as any worse than sexism, other racism, ageism, homophobia, faithism (just made that one up.. I don't know what to call people who hate on people of faith).
Racism (of which anti-Semitism is a variant), sexism and homophobia are radically different, in that they are targeted at inalienable qualities of the person. People are born into a sex (with extremely few exceptions). They are born into a "race"; although race itself is a construct, you don't get a choice about your assignment to your race in a given culture, unless you happen to be among the minority who by virtue of ambiguous features (as defined in that culture) have the opportunity to "pass." Being Jewish shares the same quality; non-Jews can convert and become Jewish, but if you're born into a Jewish family and become an atheist you're still Jewish to everyone else; and the fact is that Jews also constitute an ethnicity for most practical purposes.
Sexual orientation is either born or hardwired so early by an arbitrary, unknowable and unpredictable process that it is equivalent to being "born this way"; notwithstanding that ambiguity and experimentation in all loving directions should also be understood as fundamental rights.
Ageism (and I think specifically of the tendency of the old to beat down the young, although there is also that of the younger to abandon the older once they're infirm) may, unfortunately, be an ineradicable part of the human condition, not so much "natural" to individual humans as something that inevitably arises as one generation makes the next and succeeds the last; but I do abhor it and it, too, refers to biological qualities. You don't ever get to choose your age in years, though you may try to disguise it.
Compared to the above, there is a reason why you had to make up the term "faithism," because what one believes, asserts, proselytizes and/or practices as ritual is demonstrably not born and can and usually does change in the course of one's life. In fact, you have even described the process above for yourself. There is also a reason why you didn't use the common term: religious intolerance, because that's commonly understood as something members of religions do as well as have done to them.
Not to repeat that exchange we had on the "Facts" thread, but I'd like you to point to an example where people who are not believers in one of the theistic religions are enforcing their beliefs on theists. And I mean enforcing, meaning: imposing by law and force. That does not include trash talk, emotions, or perceptions that one is unfairly disliked or is besieged or being outnumbered by groups who do not share the same beliefs.
Because you know very well there are many examples of theists enforcing their beliefs through law and force on those who don't share their particular religion, including on other theists. Leaving the theocracies aside, one example in the US is the restrictions on abortion in many jurisdictions.
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