What is a Secular Jew?

Answer 1

Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena; above all, it is the culture of secular communities of Jewish people, but it can also include the cultural contributions of individuals who identify as secular Jews, or even those of religious Jews working in cultural areas not generally considered to be connected to religion.

The word secular in secular Jewish culture, therefore, refers not to the type of Jew but rather to the type of culture. For example, religiously observant Orthodox Jews who write literature and music or produce films with non-religious themes are participating in secular Jewish culture, even if they are not secular themselves.

However, Judaism guides its adherents in both practice and belief, and has been called not only a religion, but also a "way of life," which makes it difficult to draw a clear distinction between Judaism and Jewish culture. Furthermore, not all individuals or all cultural phenomena can be easily classified as either "secular" or "religious".

In many times and places, such as in the ancient Hellenic world, in Europe before and after the Enlightenment, and in the contemporary United States and Israel, cultural phenomena have developed that are in some sense characteristically Jewish without being at all specifically religious. Some factors in this come from within Judaism, others from the interaction of Jews with others around them, and others from the inner social and cultural dynamics of the community, as opposed to religion itself.

Even in religious Judaism there is much room for a range of political or moral views; this is only more so for secular Jews. However, even Jewish secular culture is often strongly influenced by moral beliefs deriving from Jewish scripture and tradition. In recent centuries, Jews in Europe and the Americas have traditionally tended towards the political left, and played key roles in the birth of the labor movement as well as socialism. While Diaspora Jews have also been represented in the conservative side of the political spectrum, even politically conservative Jews have tended to support pluralism more consistently than many other elements of the political right. Some scholars[3] attribute this to the fact that Jews are not expected to proselytize, and as a result do not expect a single world-state, which differs from the beliefs of many religions, such as the Roman Catholic and Islamic traditions; rather, since in Jewish theology the religions of most nations are respected, there was never any perceived reason to convert others. This lack of a universalizing religion is combined with the fact that most Jews live as minorities in their countries, and that no central Jewish religious authority has existed for over 2,000 years

Answer 2

A secular Jew is a person of Jewish heritage who does not practice the religion of Judaism.

Answer 3

Its an oxymoron because it is one or the other really but it emphasises the very essence of how religion destroys the world (beyond the more obvious wars and the like).

Secular Jew means you are a Jew but do not practice religion... how convenient.

Religion 'implies' spirituality but that simply is not the case. Thoght there are certainly spiritual religionists most religious people are spiritualy removed. Most american born Jews are reform (jewish fat free sugar free) and practic not at all, dont go to a temple ever and never would pick up a bible or religious text any more than they would a snake! Many are 'conservative' (jewish lite) meaning they practice the same as the reformed but they 'claim' to be more observant while behaving as the reformed... these are the really hypocritical ones. the remaining handful are the Orthodox, Hassidic and many of them are Israeli. They observe much if not fanatically all the stuff, more like a cult but the longevity of the Jewish religious masks the fact it is indeed a cult.

RELIGION IN GENERAL is a socio-political entity with virtually no connection to spirituality and THAT is the real problem. Religion 'IMPLIES' spiritual depth and in fact is does NOT. So looneys are out there doing angry awful things.

Answer 4

I am a secular Jew It is a Jew that identifies by race and religion BUT does not do all the things that Orthodox do

Answer 5

I'd say Larry has it backwards.

Religion and spirituality are SUPPOSED to be different. separate, and distinctive.

religion is a social construct, spirituality is a personal relationship and understanding of your deity and the nature of the metaphysical world and afterlife.

the two are entirely different topics.

its NOT hypocracy, its simply degrees of observance.

for example many conservatives do not keep kosher, even as far as mixing meat and milk, or even having pork occasionally.
but NOT having pork often, or having things that are entirely pork or very pork-ish (like pork chops, or such)

the fact is one can be extremely spiritual and not very religious.
and you can be extremely religious, but not really spiritual.

honestly you seem very anti-jewish larry, you call those who are moderately observant hypocritical, and call the ones who are extremely observant a cult... bottom line is that you haven't got any understanding of judaism at all, and really have a pretty crappy understanding of religion and spirituality in general.

Judaism is purely a religion. it is NOT about the afterlife. a Jewish person who never goes to synogogue, but acts right, and good in the spirit of the law, is a "better jew" than one who does not, but goes to synogogue every time theres a chance.

I'd say in general a "secular jew" is one who considers themself jewish, such as believing in jewish things, generally going to synogogue at least on high holidays, health allowing. but not on a regular basis besides high holidays or other rare occasions.

Answer 6

A Jew by race and not religion.

Answer 7

Maybe one who never goes to temple

Answer 8

born jewish but doesn't really practice the religion.