can i be agnostic and still be jewish?

Question

hi

I come from a jewish background, and for certain instances about trouble in my life i stopped beleiving in the god eveyrone beleives in and became agnostic. aka this whole world and big bang came from somewhere...but i just don't htink there is someone, it wut ev is watching over me.

i found out my family (grandparents and my dad) don't believe in god either. i asked why they raised me jewish. and they said, "well, it's tradition"

so can i still be jewish and be agnostic also?

let's just face it, religious wise...

i'm just confused.

Answer 1

Sure you can.
But what does it mean to be Jewish if you're not religious? You still feel an attachment to the people, but weren't the Jews chosen because of their relationship to God? On the other hand, your family shares an history with the Jews, one that is unique and binding.
I can see the dilemma - Jewish is part of your identity and Jewish relationship to God is central to that identity.
I was raised as a Catholic myself. It's another one of those religions you never completely shake off. I am also an agnostic today, but I had a strange feeling of attachment when the Pope died.
Hope this helps, but nobody can answer for you. Best of luck.

Answer 2

Welcome to the club.

Being Jewish means a lot of things, and while religion is a huge factor in our existence as a nation we have loads of other things that define and individualize us.
We are a nation with a rich culture, a beautiful tradition and a long history to be proud of.

You can indeed be a Jew who does not believe in God. Most of the Jewish people in Israel define themselves like you do.
But we still celebrate our holidays and recognize our history, culture and traditions. Our "Jewishness" comes to fruition in a quite different way than religious people's do. That's all.

Answer 3

Yes, you can. In fact, you can be anything from atheist to highly religious and also be agnostic at the same time.

Reason being that the definition of agnosticism is having a philosophy that one cannot know for sure whether a god or gods exist.

Having that philosophy does not affect belief. I, for example, am an atheist and an agnostic. I say, "I don't know for sure, and I don't think we can know for sure, but I don't believe there is a god."

You can say the same statement, changing the "don't believe" to, "do believe," and voila, you are an agnostic and a theist at the same time.

Answer 4

some people would say Jews are a race...
i personally don't really know what to say about this subject, but genrally i think you can, if you want to.
but always remember that Judaism IS about believing in God.
so if u decided that you don't (wisely) then why even want to be Jewish?
it's not a sin saying to yourself i don't belong to a religion, don't thinkit's wrong just coz most People are into a religion.
But if you want to keep traditionyou can certainly stay agnostic while still acknowledging the fact you were born Jewish

Answer 5

I know some Jewish atheists! It's a race and a lifestyle for many people, even if the religion isn't practiced anymore by them.

I know that when I studied Judaism, I loved most the rituals and traditions, festivals... rather than the belief system. I think it's nice to feel you have somewhere you belong, and to pass down to your children.

Good Luck x

Answer 6

To be a agnostic and a Jew means you are constantly at odds about any Belief. Agnostic means that you only believe what can be proved through the senses-touch,taste,see,hear and smell and God- figuratively cannot be seen,heard,touched,smelled nor tasted alhough I can look around me at the trees,flowers,birds-all of nature and the intrinsic workings of it and I see God in everything, and I have felt His Touch many times in my life as I was held by arms of love-literally waves of love would wash over me and He was so very real and here with me(never at Church or when reading the bible but in several times when I just felt like giving praise and will feel like singing of Him and to Him,. That God is real is so a part of me and its gotten stronger through the years and came from a believing in God but not very religious family background.It was my own searching that brought me to form my own Belief in Him. I do also believe in guardian angels and it is your guardian aangel that is there with you always. People get confused by thinking that God watches over them and that means their life is all good,nothing bad ever happens-God does NOT Control the world or Us-it is a democracy. and depending on our decisions is our life. Do READ the BIBLE_All Of It and pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and understanding and you'll find Truth. Every time I read some thing I couldn't understand before,before meaning yesterday or years before.a I undrstand and not even only when I read but perhaps days later it'll oop into my head-The Voice of God and how I hear for never heard a real voice but a idea is sudenly there a fact is clear and I just know its from HIM.

Answer 7

There's a difference between Jewish faith and Jewish heritage. Furthermore, the Jews are perhaps more divided than the Christian denominations. You have some Jews who accept Christ as the Messiah, some Jews still waiting for the Messiah, and other Jews who gave up looking for any Messiah.

I'm saddened by how many Jews do not have faith. It really sucks being a Gentile ya know, its like 85% of the Bible wasn't written for "my" people. But oh well, if I can be part of Abraham's seed through Christ I'll accept and follow it.

Answer 8

There is the Jewish Nation, Israel, and the Jewish Religion Judaism. God even dilineates the two, so yes.

Answer 9

An agnostic Jew is an oxymoron. It makes no more sense then an agnostic Christian.

To be a Jew means that you live in a Covenant Relationship with Yahweh. If you do not believe in Yahweh, (BTW that would make you an atheist, not an agnostic), you cannot have a Covenant Relationship with Him. Therefore you are not a Jew, you are an atheist.

Answer 10

I'd say you're Jewish but not a practicing Jew. You're questioning religion, and that's good, because everyone has to find his or her own truth. The problem with most religions is that they set themselves up as "believe everything or you believe nothing", which is crazy. There is value to most religions, certainly to Judaism, but you are free to accept what makes sense to you and discard what doesn't.