Why can one be a Jew and be an atheist and not be a Jew and a Christian?

Question

Judaism does not accept anyone who believes in Jesus. I know there are Christian Jews. But even Christian Jews going back to Israel to live are not welcomed back under the "Law Of Return". I don't understand why? Why atheism is accepted but Christianity is not?

This is from what I heard anyway. I could be wrong. I don't know which is why I am asking.

Answer 1

hi. the answer is... because a convert to another religion, i.e. christianity, has deliberately and specifically rejected the the jewish religion and people, by actively leaving it and joining another, whereas most "jewish" atheists have not. to us, a "jewish" christian (including "messianic jews") is a plain-old christian like any other, but a "jewish" atheist is just a non-practicing jew.

also, there ARE many christians, even who are not at all jewish under jewish law and never have been, who are eligible to go to israel under the law of return. the law of return says that not only jews, but non-jewish children, grandchildren, in-laws, etc of jews can immigrate as well. there are two main reasons - the first is to keep families from being broken, and the second is to protect non-jews who are at risk of being persecuted for their jewish background/heritage safe as well.

however, israel rejects applications from actual jewish people who convert to another religion to immigrate under the law of return. to them there is a difference between an innocent christian child getting sent to a death camp in nazi germany because his grandfather was a jew, and a fully jewish person who, aware that converting to another religion will make him forfeit his claim to jewish peoplehood, does it anyway. converts out of judaism have to immigrate to israel the regular way, by moving in, spending a couple years there, and then applying for citizenship. in the unlikely scenario, though, where some new fascist regime persecuting jews surfaced and converts out of judaism were being persecuted as jews, israel would let them in. but that scenario is pretty unlikely. in this day and age, most of the jews have already fled the countries that persecute jews and are now already in israel.

Answer 2

To be a Jew and an atheist is as contradictory as a Jew and a Christian. A Jew is a person that follows the faith of Judiasim so they believe in God and therefore can not be an atheist. The Jewish faith however does not believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and Christians do. That is why a Jewish person can not be a Christian.

Unless with talking about a person with split personnalities. In that case they could be both and Abraham Lincoln at the same time!

Answer 3

The Jewish Law definition of who is a Jew is a person whose mother is a Jew or a person who has undergone a 'proper' conversion. Therefore it is possible for a Jew to be an atheist or to practice Christianity...however, such a person is still a Jew and will always remain so. The covenant between God and the Jewish people does not have an 'out' clause.

Answer 4

To be a Christian...one must accept the idea that Jesus Christ was the messiah. Being an atheist means you do not believe in any higher power. Therefore, it is only possible to be a Jew and an atheist if the person ethnically and culturally identifies as Jewish, but not religiously. To be a Jew and a Christian, one would have to be ethnically and culturally Jewish, but be a Christian religiously

Answer 5

One can be a Jew, an atheist, or a Christian (or any number of other religious affiliations). One cannot be a Jew and an atheist any more than one can be a Christian and an atheist.

HOWEVER... I have a very good friend, a rabbi, who is a Messianic Jew - follows all Jewish tradition, but believes that Jesus was the prophesied Savior. Still, he's not a Christian.

Answer 6

Judaism has a much wider stretch of popularity on perception in God when you consider that we do not require perception, most effective movement. Christianity calls for perception in God -- it is kinda the factor. So agnostic/atheist Christian would not make any feel, however it is works in Judaism. Also the ones agnostic/atheist's in Judaim by and large imply they have got doubts & are unsure. Once making a decision there is not any God, Judaism does not relatively make that so much feel as is, however men and women who do this customarily simply depart & do not name themselves Jews. EDIT: Christianity's inspiration of God does straight contradict with Judaisms. That's why the ones 2 do not paintings in combination. I forgot so as to add that. A human detail to God and human sacrifice are each essense ideals in Judaism that you simply can not have them - going again to the Pharoah tale & the Issiac tale (lengthy predating Christanity.) Judaism is not an ethnicity. It's a historical past that appears ethnic, however all of that COMES immediately out of the faith it is self. It's a faith wherein you'll be able to come & depart, however as side of the loved ones/neighborhood. You can not "depart" an ethnicity, & announcing one is ethnically Jewish misses an knowledge of Judaism that it's not like being Italian. I realize it's difficult to appreciate whilst you come from an man or woman religon akin to Chrisitanity. A lot of men and women do not detect this approximately the ethnicity coming from the faith, even a few non-practising Jews, that is why it will get unclearly mentioned such a lot. ===================== Why on the planet does she wish to spot as a Jew. She left the faith. She is not a Jew consistent with Judaism. She had an Orthodox historical past, she will have to recognise this AND have identified it while she changed. I relatively ought to marvel what the underlying disorders are that she is not embracing her historical past of alternative entirely?

Answer 7

Hrm. Judaeism is the oldest of the major monotheistic religions. (ei. Jews believe that there is only one God). It is impossible to be a practicing Jew and an atheist at the same time.

You may be confusing the Jewish religion with Jewish ancestry. Many ethnic Jews (people with Jewish lineage) do not believe in or practice Judaeism. They could be atheists, buddhists, Christians, or whatever else they want to be.

Check out Jews for Jesus, a large organization of Jewish Christians.

Answer 8

Jew refers to both a belief and an ethnicity.

One can be an ethnic Jew and be an atheist, but one cannot be a religious Jew and be an atheist.

Religious Judiasm is still waiting for the Messiach to show up. To say that Jesus is the Messiach (despite all the flaws in the argument of such) is to say that there is no longer any waiting, and removes one from being religiously Jew.

Answer 9

Jews are encouraged to question their faith in God but not their Jewish way of life. They cannot accept a son or representative of God as God. Jews can be "for Jesus" or "for Mohomad", but to cross that line would de-Jew them. Cristianity incorporates the New Testament; the New Testament says that Jesus was the King of the Jews and the son of God; to accept that would constitute a change of religion.

Answer 10

Well if I understand what you are referring too...

You can be a jew by culture and not religion... Christianity is not considered a culture (generally) Though I think you can be a secular Christian???

Also if your mother is Jewish you are Jewish even if you do not observe. However you are only a Christian if you do certain things (Depending on what kind of Christian. You may need to be baptized, first communion, take communion, confession)

If your parents were Jewish then you have the "Right of Return" to Isreal even if you do not believe. You are also granted this right if you complete a conversion.