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Demonization

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From a secular viewpoint, demonization can be used to denigrate an opposed individual or group, making adherents to one's own religion or viewpoint less inclined to do business with them (and possibly convert) and more inclined to fight against them. If foreigners are evil and corrupted by demonic
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The reverse is found in Buddhist texts which similarly caricature Hindu sacred figures. According to Alf Hiltebeitel and other scholars, some of the stories in Buddha-related Jataka tales found in Pali texts seem slanderous distortions of Hindu legends, but these may reflect the ancient local
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is an example of this. If pagans are corrupted by the demon "god" Baal, then clearly they must be fought or at least oppressed. Especially in the earlier books of the Hebrew Bible, foreign deities are portrayed as existing and corrupting entities rather than being mere powerless
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The view of early Judaism treating foreign deities as devils and later Judaism treating them as nonexistent is not universal. Psalms 96:5, for example, is alternately translated as, "For all the Gods of the gentiles are nothing," "For all the Gods of the gentiles are devils"
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easily accepts foreign gods in general, and in times of conflict, a foreign nation's gods would sometimes be portrayed as evil. Less commonly, it would be applied to other religions as well. For example, Buddha's portrayal in Hinduism varies: Some strains of
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edition of the Bible. The "devils" epithet would still appear in Bibles up until the end of the 20th century when the consensus reverted to the original Hebrew text for modern translations.
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Religions, even those that are radically monotheistic, do not necessarily deny the existence of other gods or spiritual beings. On the contrary, they claim some of the other
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influence, then any means of self-defense is easily portrayed as legitimate. The portrayal of almost all pagans in the Middle East as
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ones. The term has since been expanded to refer to any characterization of individuals, groups, or political bodies as evil.
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Demonization is sometimes used against what are arguably political opponents rather than religious ones. The
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are not worthy of worship and in actuality are demons who mislead followers from proper belief or practice.
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translation of that passage, used by the early Christian Church, used the "devils" version.
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translated into English", Psalm 95:5, translated by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton, 1851.
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traditions and the complexities of early interaction between the two Indian religions.
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In colloquial usage, the term "demonization" is used metaphorically to refer to
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would follow the Greek text rather than the Hebrew when he translated the
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Analogs to demonization exist outside monotheistic religions, as well.
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Characterization of individuals, groups, or political bodies as evil
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The Buddhist Viṣṇu: Religious Transformation, Politics, and Culture
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directed against any individual or group, for the purpose of
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often employed demonization tactics when converting
209:were destroyed by accusations that they worshipped 449: 497: 408:"The Edict of Expulsion of the Jews - 1492 Spain" 566: 507:The Ritual of Battle: Krishna in the Mahabharata 503: 470: 432:Cambridge University Hindu Cultural Society 443: 541: 389: 387: 364: 334:of their gods ye shall burn with fire." 477:Constance Jones; James D. Ryan (2006). 456:. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 18–21. 297: 567: 200: 384: 225:deity with the Christian images of 13: 118:up to the extent that they became 14: 591: 217:. Baphomet, often thought to be 193:while in some texts such as the 535: 524: 351:, with the edge of the sword." 304: 232: 425: 400: 358: 341: 320: 1: 367:"Demons in the Old Testament" 104:suppression of Roman paganism 287:Idealization and devaluation 140:Expulsion of Jews from Spain 7: 450:John Clifford Holt (2008). 260: 53: 26:is the reinterpretation of 10: 596: 365:Bratcher, Dennis (2006). 504:Alf Hiltebeitel (1990). 483:. Infobase. p. 96. 480:Encyclopedia of Hinduism 412:www.sephardicstudies.org 326:"Ye shall destroy their 554:Encyclopædia Britannica 437:3 February 2008 at the 251:character assassination 136:Antisemitism in Iberia 580:Sociology of religion 191:incarnation of Vishnu 298:Notes and references 282:Demonizing the enemy 102:'s ascension in its 201:Political conflicts 132:Abrahamic religions 89:worshippers in the 42:, generally by the 517:978-0-7914-0250-4 490:978-0-8160-7564-5 463:978-81-208-3269-5 138:, leading to the 587: 559: 558: 550: 548:"Baphomet"  539: 533: 528: 522: 521: 501: 495: 494: 474: 468: 467: 447: 441: 429: 423: 422: 420: 418: 404: 398: 391: 382: 381: 379: 377: 371:www.crivoice.org 362: 356: 345: 339: 324: 312: 308: 277:Delegitimization 267:Black propaganda 595: 594: 590: 589: 588: 586: 585: 584: 565: 564: 563: 562: 540: 536: 529: 525: 518: 502: 498: 491: 475: 471: 464: 448: 444: 439:Wayback Machine 430: 426: 416: 414: 406: 405: 401: 392: 385: 375: 373: 363: 359: 346: 342: 325: 321: 316: 315: 309: 305: 300: 263: 235: 215:Philip the Fair 207:Knights Templar 203: 56: 17: 12: 11: 5: 593: 583: 582: 577: 561: 560: 545:, ed. (1911). 543:Chisholm, Hugh 534: 523: 516: 496: 489: 469: 462: 442: 424: 399: 383: 357: 340: 318: 317: 314: 313: 302: 301: 299: 296: 295: 294: 289: 284: 279: 274: 272:Dehumanization 269: 262: 259: 255:dehumanization 234: 231: 202: 199: 142:including the 55: 52: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 592: 581: 578: 576: 573: 572: 570: 556: 555: 549: 544: 538: 532: 527: 519: 513: 509: 508: 500: 492: 486: 482: 481: 473: 465: 459: 455: 454: 446: 440: 436: 433: 428: 413: 409: 403: 396: 390: 388: 372: 368: 361: 354: 350: 344: 337: 333: 332:graven images 329: 323: 319: 307: 303: 293: 290: 288: 285: 283: 280: 278: 275: 273: 270: 268: 265: 264: 258: 256: 252: 248: 244: 240: 230: 228: 224: 220: 216: 212: 208: 198: 196: 192: 188: 185:consider the 184: 179: 174: 172: 169: 165: 161: 157: 153: 147: 145: 141: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 105: 101: 100:Constantine I 97: 92: 88: 82: 80: 76: 72: 68: 65: 61: 51: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 25: 21: 552: 537: 526: 506: 499: 479: 472: 452: 445: 427: 415:. Retrieved 411: 402: 374:. Retrieved 370: 360: 343: 322: 306: 292:Scapegoating 236: 233:Modern usage 204: 175: 158:) The Greek 148: 91:Hebrew Bible 83: 67:missionaries 57: 48:henotheistic 44:monotheistic 28:polytheistic 24:demonisation 23: 20:Demonization 19: 18: 393:"The Greek 243:moral panic 73:, although 30:deities as 575:Demonology 569:Categories 395:Septuagint 247:defamation 239:propaganda 213:from King 178:Polytheism 160:Septuagint 120:synonymous 417:2 January 376:2 January 219:Beelzebub 122:with the 112:Beelzebub 64:Christian 40:religions 38:by other 435:Archived 261:See also 211:Baphomet 183:Hinduism 144:Moriscos 116:Baphomet 54:Religion 34:, lying 253:and/or 195:Puranas 171:Vulgate 152:Vulgate 108:Lucifer 75:Judaism 514:  487:  460:  353:Joshua 336:Exodus 328:altars 223:horned 187:Buddha 164:Jerome 71:pagans 36:demons 338:34:13 227:Satan 168:Latin 128:satan 124:devil 96:idols 79:Islam 512:ISBN 485:ISBN 458:ISBN 419:2023 378:2023 355:6:21 156:NRSV 114:and 87:Baal 60:gods 46:and 32:evil 349:ass 241:or 189:an 130:of 22:or 571:: 551:. 410:. 386:^ 369:. 257:. 249:, 229:. 146:. 110:, 77:, 520:. 493:. 466:. 421:. 380:. 150:( 126:/

Index

polytheistic
evil
demons
religions
monotheistic
henotheistic
gods
Christian
missionaries
pagans
Judaism
Islam
Baal
Hebrew Bible
idols
Constantine I
suppression of Roman paganism
Lucifer
Beelzebub
Baphomet
synonymous
devil
satan
Abrahamic religions
Antisemitism in Iberia
Expulsion of Jews from Spain
Moriscos
Vulgate
NRSV
Septuagint

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