Why are there so few Jews?

Question

Of the three major western religions, Judaism is clearly the oldest (by 3000 years compared to Christianity). Yet there are approximately two billion Christians, one billion Muslims and only 15 million Jews. So the question is, relative to the other two (younger) religions, why are there so few Jews?

Answer 1

Unlike the other two religions, Judaism doesn't seek or encourage conversion. One man, Abraham, was chosen as the father of the Jewish people. The rest of world formed itself into various other religions. So one man's descendants basically form the Jewish population versus the rest of the world population. Plus everyone else is constantly killing off and or persecuting Jews.

Answer 2

A couple of reasons:

1. The Holocaust.

2. Being Jewish encompasses not just a religious belief but ancestry. Jews don't distinguish like we do. You aren't considered Jewish unless at least your mother was Jewish. The ancestry is a prerequisite to the religious practice and that means that there aren't that many people who can claim to at least come from the house of Judah.

3. Judaism has no principle of proselytization (it doesn't seek followers). We get more Jews when Jews reproduce. :)

These three basic rules are a stark contrast to most religions (Hinduism can be considered an exception).

Answer 3

Jewish girl summed it up fairly accurately.

3,500 years ago their were about 3 million Jews and about the same amount of Chinese (and Chinese cant gain converts so that tells you something)

Though if you want a biblical perspective this is the way things are to be.

"God will then scatter you among the nations, and only a small number will remain among the nations where God shall lead you" (Deuteronomy 4:27)

for more info on this
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/7-wonders-of-jewish-history.htm#3

Answer 4

two reasons.

1) everybody always kills us.
2) we don't seek converts and we don't proseletyze.

the two combined tend to limit the growth of a religion.

"Some calcuations put the Jewish population at about 250-300 million if they all the atrocities, not just Hitler, never occured."

yes, its pretty sad that history has been so cruel that only 15 million of us are left in the entire world.

Answer 5

Numbers can fool others. Maybe Judaism is the best of the three monotheist faiths..

We must remember that unlike Christians and Muslims, the Jews do not publish their faith. Maybe it's a good thing..yes?
To each his own.

Answer 6

Two reasons. World War 2, and Jews don't proselytize hardly at all, especially compared to the other two.

Answer 7

Jews are a descent group hence their numbers would be somewhat limited

both Christianity and Islam are encouraged to make new converts hence they are bigger whereas Jews don't feel that their ways are to be shared with just anyone

Answer 8

There are probably more Jews than you know of, they are in every country in the world and have been for a long time. They aren't centered in one area like most religions are.

Answer 9

Because Jews have been persecuted throughout history, dispora, crusades, jihads, holocaust.

Christians were able to spread their religon with missionaries and crusading soldiers.
Muslims were able to spread their religon also with missionaries and crusading soldiers.

So basically, the Jews haven't yet started a war in the name of religon in order to convert people.

Answer 10

Well for one thing, they dont go out of their way to convert non-jews to their religion

another thing is that between Hitler and Stalin, they probably lost about 30 million of them in direct killing and future children.