Historically, which is the most persecuted religious group/philosophy holders and who did the persecuting?

Answer 1

I would have to say the Jews(Israelites). They have been persecuted since well before 3000 BC. The list is too long to those who have done so and what horrors have been done to them.

Ath

Answer 2

Probably Jews from a Western historical aspect. If we pick them, then Catholicism was at the heart of most of that persectution, through the Enlightenment. When Jews came to America, they found a bit of a refuge, but still were treated differently by their Christian neighbors. Of course, they weren't exactly inclusive themselves.

Christians can make an argument because of persecution during the Soviet Union's rule, as well as persecution in early Communist China, continuing until fairly recently. Depends on your point of view.

Additionally, entire religions have been wiped from the face of the earth...does that make them more persecuted than a religion that still survives today? Also, we don't know that much in the West about other cultural events. For example, in the 13th century, there were massive executions of Hindus...over 100,000. Maybe that doesn't seem like a lot, but put it in context. There were a LOT less people on earth back then.

It's hard to really say, beyond giving examples of historical data. Perhaps being denied a church is persecution...but what is the weight of that compared to losing one's tongue, or life?

Answer 3

Probably the Jews. The worse persecution they got was from Hitler's regime. They had a tough time in Europe in the Middle Ages.

There are other candidates:
- Assyrians, a christian people in Iraq who have been very badly persecuted by mohamedans there. That may be more due to the brutal kind of behaviour of the people there - perhaps they were traumatised by the desperately violent mongol conquest, so got into all sorts of brutal thinking that still is there.
- Armenians, a christian people sited between Turkey, Iran and Iraq. They experienced a genocide in the early 20C - 1/3 population killed.
- Karen tribal people in Burmese highlands
Christian, but persecuted badly by the current nasty regime.
- South American native indians
were badly treated by Spanish conquistadores, a lot of forced conversion to catholic interpretation of Christianity.

Answer 4

All the 3 Abrahamic religions were persecuted by the leaders of the world.

Answer 5

1. Most persecuted: non-Christians

2. Persecuted by: Christians

See the history of the Americas...

Answer 6

Probably the Gnostic's. Anyone who held any ideas of that nature were considered and are still considered heretics. The Cathars were also considered heretics and died in the Albigensian Crusade. The beliefs were similar. Then of course the heretic christians that would not adhere to the RC churches dogma. The holy mother church was the persecutor.

Answer 7

I suspect history is totally inadequate in recording persecution, but going by that, I'd have to say Jewish people.

Answer 8

Jews have a long history of being persecuted, I'd go with them.

One of their greatest enemies was the Catholic Church.

Free-thinking Protestants abandoned European crap and came to the new world, where Jews have always been welcome and felt welcome.

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3000 BC? Jews didn't exist in 3000 BC!

Abraham was born about 2060 BC (give or take a decade).

Answer 9

I would say that catholics have had a go at more than one religion in their time.

Answer 10

The Anabaptists and it was the Catholic church and its children the Angelican movement and others.

Read Foxes book of Martyrs!