Are Jews who convert to Christianity still Jewish?

Question

I thought since they were decendents of Abraham that they were all related by origin. There are some answers that say they are not Jews once converting? I am confused?

Answer 1

no, they are no longer jewish if they accept a faith other than judaism as their own.

"When the non-Jewish world makes the claim that one who was Jewish but converts to Christianity can retain the "Jewish Culture and Ethnicity," one must ask, "Which Jewish Culture? Which Jewish Ethnicity?" The culture and ethnicity of a Jew from Morocco has little in common with the ethnicity and culture of a Jew from Eastern Europe. Yet both are Jews because their faith, their Jewish theology, is the same.

And just as many people convert to Judaism, and thus become Jews, those Jews who convert to another faith are no longer Jews.

The Biblical basis for this is I Kings 18:21. Elijah the prophet asked Jews who were beginning to slip into the worship of the idol, Baal, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the God of the Jews is God, follow Him! but if Baal is God, then follow him!" Elijah told the Jews, one or the other, not both! You cannot believe in two opposite, mutually exclusive ideas simultaneously. Judaism and Christianity believe in opposite, mutually exclusive ideas, and you cannot be a Jew and a believer that Jesus was the Christ at the same time."

Answer 2

Once a Jew, always a Jew.

This applies to all Jews, whether one was born as a Jew, or later converted to Judaism. If you have been born to a Jewish mother, OR converted formally to the faith, then you are a Jew for life.

What this means is that according to Judaism, you are under an obligation to fulfill the mitzvot (commandments) of Judaism. You are one of the covenant people. It does not mean, of course, that everyone who is a Jew will necessarily succeed or even try to succeed at fulfilling those commandments.

So, a Jewish person can convert to any religion they want, and never practice Judaism at all, but according to Judaism, they are still Jewish and SHOULD be fulfilling the laws of Judaism. A Jew practicing Christianity or Buddhism, or Wicca, or what have you, is therefore seen as wayward by Orthodox Judaism.

I hope that clarifies the issue for you. ;-)

Answer 3

Judaism is not a race----it is a religion. There are some Jews who are from the Jewish race, but, most are not. If one converts to Christianity, he is a Christian, not a Jew. Likewise, if a person converts from Christianity to Judaism, he is a Jew. He adopts the faith and the sons of Abraham. You cannot be of two religions at one time.

Answer 4

There has been a change to Israel's Law of Return. Before, anyone of Jewish descent could emigrate and automatically become a citizen.

This law no longer applies to persons who have converted to another religion.

As for the halachic religious definition of a Jew, there are some influential rabbis who hold that a formal conversion to another religion (as opposed to mere free thinking or atheism) constitutes apostasy and therefore, the individual no longer fits the halachic definition of a Jew.

Answer 5

a decendant of Avraham, is either called Evareem or Eeslam, there is no such word as jew in all of TheTorah or Tanach. and when they are called as the multitudes that left egypt(slaves from all nations, including egyptians) the were called Yehoodah. and to mentaly agee to be called anything else other than what G-D calls them in TheTorah. is the forbidden practice of altering TheTorah, which implicates idolitry of some sort.

but you cannot, quit being an Evareem, or Yehoodah. by mere mental masterbation. it is as foolish as a horse, pretending he is not a horse any more. he/she is still a horse, pretending not to be a horse, or other horses behinds pretending your not a horse. and evareem who practices christianity, is just that, an evareem practicing christianity. shalomcha vshalomcha.

Answer 6

yes they are still Jewish. No one can change their history. The Lord was always the deliverer in the Jewish religion. He delivered them out of slavery didnt He. So when they become christians He delivers them from sin, the same as all christians.

Answer 7

According to Jewish Law they are still Jews...albeit apostates. Despite what individuals may want to believe, the covenant between God and the Jews provides no 'out clause'.

Answer 8

According to Judaism you are a JEW no matter what you do.
You are still a JEW even if you
1. become an atheist/agnostic
2. change to another religion
3. curse god
4. burn the torah
5. kill another jew
6. kill all the other jews
7. become Prez of USA
8. kill god.
That's how powerful is the jewish identity.

Answer 9

For practicing Jews one who "converts" to another faith is concidered dead by other jews ... for any one who comes to The Christian Faith they are Christians. But their "race" dose not change... All who come to God in The Way He proscribes are of The True Christian Faith.

Answer 10

Yes they are still Jews.
Just as French people who follow Jesus are still French.. and so on.