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To: ConservativeMind

“They force converted you to Catholic or you either had to leave to the New World or be killed.”

That’s not really true. First, huge numbers of Jews in Spain converted in the 13-15th centuries. Some did so of their own free will because they were converted by disputations (essentially public debates). Some converted of their own free will to advance in society. Some were bullied into converting. A surprisingly large number converted officially but continued to practice Judaism secretly and in some cases deliberately used their status as Christians to subvert Christianity. This sort of thing is documented, if I recall correctly, in Henry A. F. Kamen’s book on the inquisition published in the late 90s. He is a Jewish scholar by the way. It’s certainly documented in Walsh’s old book on the inquisition from decades ago.

Many of the leaders of the Spanish Church were of Jewish background - including members of the Spanish Inquisition. Torquemada, who was the first head of the Spanish Inquisition, was apparently of Jewish descent.

People forget that almost all Jews in Spain had already converted to Catholic Christianity during Visigothic times. (There was so many conversions that many of the same problems experienced in the 13-15th centuries were already there in the 7th century as so clearly demonstrated at the Sixth Council of Toledo in the 630s.) Then, when the Muslims invaded in 711, there was a large influx of Jews into Spain again - who would convert in large numbers more than 500 years later.

And after Otranto the Spaniards were not taking any chances.


19 posted on 09/18/2022 4:12:54 PM PDT by vladimir998 ( Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: vladimir998

Actually, my family is among those being offered Spanish citizenship. Spain reached out to the family and most became Protestants, while some eventually became Catholics, in the New World.

So, spare me what it is that you claim to know, because it is not relevant. They were Jewish and were kicked out. They were heavily discriminated against in the Spanish colony they went to, but eventually became well-respected, despite not being allowed into the cities for many years.


23 posted on 09/18/2022 4:17:11 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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