Author Topic: Are Jews a Nation or a Religion? (Read 2406 times)

ms da binsi · « **on:** December 22, 2007, 02:29:28 PM »

Judaism can be thought of as being simultaneously a religion, a nationality and a culture.

Throughout the middle ages and into the 20th century, most of the European world agreed that Jews constituted a distinct nation. This concept of nation does not require that a nation have either a territory nor a government, but rather, it identifies, as a nation any distinct group of people with a common language and culture. Only in the 19th century did it become common to assume that each nation should have its own distinct government; this is the political philosophy of nationalism. In fact, Jews had a remarkable degree of self-government until the 19th century. So long as Jews lived in their ghettos, they were allowed to collect their own taxes, run their own courts, and otherwise behave as citizens of a landless and distinctly second-class Jewish nation.

Of course, Judaism is a religion, and it is this religion that forms the central element of the Jewish culture that binds Jews together as a nation. It is the religion that defines foods as being kosher and non-kosher, and this underlies Jewish cuisine. It is the religion that sets the calendar of Jewish feast and fast days, and it is the religion that has preserved the Hebrew language.

If Judaism an ethnicity? In short, not any more. Although Judaism arose out of a single ethnicity in the Middle East, there have always been conversions into and out of the religion. Thus, there are those who may have been ethnically part of the original group who are no longer part of Judaism, and those of other ethnic groups who have converted into Judaism.

If you are referring to a nation in the sense of race, Judaism is not a nation. People are free to convert into Judaism; once converted, they are considered the same as if they were born Jewish. This is not true for a race.

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ben · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2007, 02:44:32 PM »

I've known a few Jewish people who were not very religious, equivalent to a lapsed Catholic. However they still upheld the traditions eg about food, and they felt a sense of kinship to other Jews. That indicates that you can't say it's a religion - since their Religious + Secular > Religious alone. A nation and a culture, certainly.

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ms da binsi · « **Reply #2 on:** December 23, 2007, 11:57:32 PM »

that is correct Ben...

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Scarb · « **Reply #3 on:** December 24, 2007, 01:20:52 AM »

jews as ive known is a sort of religion,
just like us we are Roman Catholic
there are Muslim
Evangelist or Ptotestant etc.

Jews, believe God in their own way with the accordance of
their culture and tradition, practiced from generation to generation.

my cazin hubby is a Jewish, he is nice and jolly man,
respectful to all species blah blah blah..

i guess in the eyes of God we are the same (bords./sis.@ heart)

during second world war..the Jewish are known to be the most successful
businessmen,and inherited Deutschland with much population.
the good leaders were almost Jewish too,
Hitler cant accept the fact that Deutschland were being leaded to non Deutscher,
one of the reason why almost numerous Jewish were killed,
due to envy? egotism?nationalismus?

some fact are being denied, other is still on discussion
but to those victims-generation,firmly believed;
their forefathers were being kick-out/killed coz they were industrious and successful.
hmmnn watta sad truth.

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ms da binsi · « **Reply #4 on:** December 24, 2007, 03:33:05 AM »

Thanks for your share Blue, im so fascinated of Jewish lives, before and after Hitler...

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2008, 08:51:45 AM »

I have many friends that are Jews. One good friend is an orthodox Jew who I have shared many hours in conversation in college (he graduated already). Some of the things that we talked about was the history of Israel, which he explained in full detail, in accordance to the teachings of the Talmud. I respect the Jewish faith. I truly believe that they are God's Chosen People.

They have survived multiple plagues, wars, persecution, catastrophes that would have wiped out any other people or nation. Like budding flowers, the Jews are all over the world. And most of them are successful and influential people. As what the Lord God Promised them.

And because he loved thy fathers, and chose their seed after them, he brought thee out with his countenance, with his great power, out of Egypt
Deuteronomy 4:37

The Torah also states this:

According to the Torah, Israel's character as the chosen people is unconditional as it says in Deuteronomy 14:2, "For you are a holy people to YHWH {Yaweh} your God, and God has chosen you to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth."

Other Torah verses about chosenness, "For all the earth is mine: and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5, 6). "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 7:7, 8 ).

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Author Topic: Are Jews a Nation or a Religion? (Read 2406 times)

ms da binsi

Are Jews a Nation or a Religion?

ben

Re: Are Jews a Nation or a Religion?

ms da binsi

Re: Are Jews a Nation or a Religion?

Scarb

Re: Are Jews a Nation or a Religion?

ms da binsi

Re: Are Jews a Nation or a Religion?

Lorenzo

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