Are jews followers of a cause or a race of people? Or both?

Question

It's an arguement between me and my friends ( especialy stubborn ones.) that needs the opinion of other people.

Answer 1

Judaism in not a racial peoplehood.

Jews have the 613 commandments of the Torah, plus myriads of rabbinical commandments.

But even a Jew who violates these commandments remains a Jew.

Answer 2

Jews are a bloodline of people descended from Abraham. The earliest Jews settled in what is known as the land of Israel (Israel is the new name God gave to Jacob in the Old Testament). So Jews are not a race, nor are they simply followers of a cause. They are a bloodline, a family, even though they are spread far and wide around the world. They do tend to keep their language, Hebrew/Yiddish, alive and well, and they tend to have similar beliefs. But just like Christianity, there are different religious rites asserted by different factions of Judaism (Jewish religion).

I will also include that anyone who converts to Judaism by choice, is considered to be "of the blood" by God's standards. Adoption, if you will, and all the amenities that go with it.

Answer 3

They are followers of a religion but not a race.

Traditionally, there are really only three races in the world: caucasoid, ******* and mongoloid.

They could, however, be considered an ethnic group, which really only refers to a group of people who share a religion, language, nationality or culture.

Those Jews who could be considered "followers of a cause" would be the Zionists, members of a more militant political movement that sought a homeland for Jews in Palestine. But certainly not all Jews are Zionists.
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Answer 4

Jews are NOT a race. We come in all shapes, sizes, and colors!

We are a community working together in partnership with God toward the common goal of peace on earth. As noted above, one can be Jewish by birth or by conversion to Judaism.
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Answer 5

There are two types of Jews. Those that were born as Jews and whose ancestors would have originally lived somewhere in the Holy Land. The other is the person who has chosen the Jewish religion as their worship method. They can be of any race or ethnic background.

Answer 6

Judaism is both a religion, and a nationality.

if someone doesn't believe in the religion than they aren't jewish.

some (falsely) claim to be jewish because they were born into it, even though they believe some other religion.

theres both a race and a religion component, its firstly a religion though.

edit: and some people like corhanem deliberately confound the truth by not making it clear. if you are christian, you are no longer jewish. in converting out of it, you forsake the jewishness. of course if you were to give up the polytheistic idolotry of christianity, then you could be welcomed back, but while beliving in christianity you are no longer jewish.

Answer 7

Both technically, although I'd lean towards Jews being a follower of a cause myself.

In my humble opinion, they should be called Israelites, and then Jews if they follow the teaching of the fathers of old (Moses, Elijah, etc)

Answer 8

Jews are an ETHNO-RELIGIOUS people group...

That means that the Jews are an ethnic group that is also defined by a particular religion...

Answer 9

followers of a race

Answer 10

I didn't know Judaism was a cause. :P

Try "both an ethnic group and a religion".