Is Jewish a religion or a heritage?

Question

I've had so many arguements about this.

Answer 1

Being Jewish is both a religion and a people/nation.

We are a nation people, Israel ( tribal origin ) bound by an eternal covenant of the faith ( religion ) of Judaism.

Now let me explain.

The Jewish people are considered a nation. Our connection is primarily one of faith through the covenant of Israel, yet membership is also conferred by birth, through matrilineal descent.One may also become a part of the nation Israel by adoption of the faith of Judaism and formal procedures of conversion.

One who converts to Judaism is considered as fully Jewish as one born Jewish and their children are Jews. This has been the case since the times of the Torah.

However one can be a Jew and not belong to both. One may technically be a Jew if their mother is a Jew, but apostate to the covenant of Israel and no longer be considred a member of the nation.

There are different Jewish cultures that have developed over the millenia in Diaspora lands as well as from the Mizrahi (from the Middle East and North Africa) The Sephardi (Spanish) Ashkenazi, (German, Polish, Russian and other Eastern European) are all slightly different, even within those three designations as to cultural practices and foods, but it is the faith and covenant that binds them all together as Klal Yisrael.

We are Klal Yisrael, the community of Israel, and have a shared " destiny" and history, while still having developed throughout history, many DIFFERENT Jewish cultures developed in the Diaspora. The Diaspora refers to the Jewish presence outside of Israel after the destruction of the First and Second Temple periods and the Bar Kochba revolt.

The Jewish nation began as a group of tribes and our connection to one another is still from the perspective of a tribal nation. One may join through adoption of the covenant or one may be born into it.

One born into the covenant may become apostate to it ( be an atheist, convert to another religion ) and still be considered a Jew, but for all intents and purposes, they're not given the status of a member because they're not counted in a minyan, can't be buried in a Jewish cemetary, etc. They CAN however, return ( teshuvah) without formal conversion should they so desire. ( rather like someone who leaves the country, if they don't give up citizenship, can return without going through citizenship application all over again )

The only way one who isn't born to a Jewish mother can become Jewish is through adoption of the faith, dedication to living AS a Jew through the eternal covenant. Then the children of a Jewish woman who converts is considered every bit as Jewish as one whose ancestry came from Sarah. A convert TO Judaism who becomes fully a Jew does not have the option of becoming apostate to Judaism and still being considered Jewish. You don't have atheist Jewish converts.


Am Yisrael Chai ( the people Israel live!)

Here are some Jewish sources to discuss this issue that may help you.

These two links explain from the Jewish perspective, Jewish identity. Jewish law determines who is and who isn't Jewish.

I highly recommend reading both of these,

http://www.jewfaq.org/judaism.htm

http://www.beingjewish.com/identity/race.html

http://www.whatjewsbelieve.org/ < This is always a good place for comparative study, too.
This is a link to a source that is a scholarly study of the development of Jewish languages. It will help you if you are interested in studying the different Jewish cultures.

http://www.jewish-languages.org/

Jews are in NO way a RACE..other than as members of the human race. For those of you who want to claim Judaism doesn't accept converts as fully Jewish, how about Ruth in the Bible? She was a member of a nation that was condemned to be separate from God for their evil. However, she was a righteous woman who converted and adopted the faith of Israel and was the ancestor of King David. The New Testament depicts her as being an ancestor of Jesus, too. I like to bring this up when some Christians want to declare that converts aren't "real Jews" or that Jews are a race. (something that isn't up to them to decide one way or another anyway)
It is Jewish law alone, not Christianity or any other entity that determines the status of who and what is Jewish.

One cannot be Jewish and Christian at the same time. One may be an apostate Jew who is Christian. A Jew who converts to Islam is a Muslim. A Jew who converts to Christianity is a Christian.
Let me give you a hypothetical to better illustrate:
Let's say a Jew decides to invent a new religion that makes Google it's ORACLE and everyone must consult Google for every aspect of their life and pay obeisance to Google..Does that make Google worship a Jewish religion? Are Googles now Jewish? Or is that Jew apostate to Judaism and by identifying himself as Jewish, misrepresenting the Jewish nation/people?

You can become a member of a tribe or nation if you meet the criteria of citizenship. And the covenant people, Klal Yisrael, remain as in the earliest days of the covenant..a nation. It hasn't changed.

While the terms country, state, and nation are often used interchangeably, there is a difference.
A State (note the capital "S") is a self-governing political entity. The term State can be used interchangeably with country.

A nation, however, is a tightly-knit group of people which share a common culture. <<<<< NOTE THIS PLEASE

A nation-state is a nation which has the same borders as a State.

Nations are culturally homogeneous groups of people, larger than a single tribe or community, which share a common language, institutions, religion, and historical experience.

When a nation of people have a State or country of their own, it is called a nation-state. Places like France, Egypt, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand are excellent examples of nation-states. There are some States which have two nations, such as Canada and Belgium. Even with its multicultural society, the United States is also referred to as a nation-state because of the shared American "culture."

There are nations without States. For example, the Kurds are stateless people. The nation Israel has had a nation state since 1948, but not all of the covenant/nation/people Israel live in the state of Israel.

Confusing, isn't it?

Answer 2

I see Judaism as a religion. It ends up being a heritage because it's passed down.. So it's both.

Answer 3

i think of this is regardless of the guy figuring out himself needs it to be. Judaism is a faith. One may additionally say that being Jewish is cultural or ethnic journey; with the aid of fact many people who perceive themselves as Jewish do no longer prepare any faith. And, then, Jewish human beings in many distinctive cultures, international locations and ethnic communities convey their Jewishness in distinctive methods. The religious Jews might have in problem-unfastened the Torah, the Hebrew language for worship,the Jewish holidays. it fairly is no longer purely an inherited prestige the two with the aid of fact the Jews settle for gentile converts. this is a stressful question which you ask.

Answer 4

i always argue that it is a religion. its routes are so far back its really hard to pin it as a heritage. i always thought of heritage as nationality and jewish is not a nationality because there are jews from all over the world. but thats just my opinion.

Answer 5

Judaism is a religion Jewish people follow it.

Answer 6

its both of course. im part jewish in heritage (maybe i should just say israelite from now on.) but not in religion.

Answer 7

Definitely a religion! Jesus was Jewish!

Answer 8

Both

Answer 9

I think it's both. Its both a religion and a race of people.

Answer 10

i guess it's a religion