Religion Personal Religious Affiliation, Then and Now

[FortyTwo]

Like I said above, I call myself Jewish to avoid complications. To fully understand this, try identifying yourself as an Atheist in front of others, and see what happens.

Just glare them down and answer affirmatively to the flood of "you mean you don't actually believe in God? But you mean, you don't actually believe in an afterlife? Or a...?" until they're forced to cease fire and give at least a complacent shrug.

 

[Dropkick]

Sorry for the confusion. Jewish means you follow the religon of Judaism ,period. Any other meaning is the result of people trying to make it more than that it actually is. Like I mentioned before, some people try to make it an ethnicity ,which it isn't, thus the confusion.

I'm sorry but you're wrong.

Being called Jewish means you might be a follower of Judaism. It does mean that you are descended from of one of the tribes of Israel or you have been adopted by the tribes (converting to Judaism makes you part of the tribe).

This is where the confusion stems from: if you convert to Judaism you are thereafter referred to as being Jewish, however if you are a descendant of one of the tribes of Israel you are Jewish no matter what religion you follow or don't follow. Yet while it is actually a term denoting membership in the tribes it is also wrongly used to denote religious preference.

references:
http://www.jewfaq.org/whoisjew.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrews

 

[Dropkick]

Except Judaism is also an ethnicity. You can't change that just because you don't want to be identified ethnically ( but you're ok with being identified culturally?) as Jewish.

Judaism is a religion, not an ethnicity. Being Jewish is an ethnicity.
Though Judaism is the official religion of the Jewish people. Following Judaism and being Jewish are two separate things.

 

[Dropkick]

Maybe this will explain it more clearly than I do.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism):

Who is a Jew?
Main article: Who is a Jew?
According to traditional Jewish Law, a Jew is anyone born of a Jewish mother or converted to Judaism in accordance with Jewish Law. American Reform Judaism and British Liberal Judaism accept the child of one Jewish parent (father or mother) as Jewish if the parents raise the child with a Jewish identity. All mainstream forms of Judaism today are open to sincere converts, although conversion has traditionally been discouraged since the time of the Talmud. The conversion process is evaluated by an authority, and the convert is examined on his or her sincerity and knowledge.[70] Converts are given the name "ben Abraham" or "bat Abraham", (son or daughter of Abraham).

Traditional Judaism maintains that a Jew, whether by birth or conversion, is a Jew forever. Thus a Jew who claims to be an atheist or converts to another religion is still considered by traditional Judaism to be Jewish.

 

[Dropkick]

Which of these people were Jewish?

It's a trick question - they all were.

 

[peacefulveglady]

even tho we visited a church today in our new location , I am leaning towards being at peace and get into peaceful things still…