A question about the Jewish faith**[W:57]**

[Josie]

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

 

[MrPeanut]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Maybe she was talking about being culturally Jewish. I know that if your mother is Jewish you are automatically considered Jewish even if you don't believe.

 

[Manc Skipper]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Jewish identity covers ethnic and cultural areas as well as religious belief, (or not) so "Jewish atheist" isn't a contradiction.

 

[Crovax]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

Apparently not anymore, I looked into it a while back and could never find an answer as to why Judism survives when a large part are atheist only that it does :shrug:

 

[Celebrity]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

I'm under the impression that this is a tactic used by Jews (especially women, and especially mothers speaking to their children) to retain control of their cultural integrity. But by cultural integrity I don't mean that the culture is the Semitic race. Interestingly, Semitic is now mostly obsolete outside of linguistics, but I have heard Jews speaking Hebrew.

It would be more like someone saying "you don't have to believe in God to be white," than "you don't have to believe in God to be a Catholic." However to complicate things further, most American Jews are Caucasian.

I once tried to explain to my Jewish friend that he was a Jew because his mother was Jewish... it didn't go over too well. :doh

 

[KevinKohler]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

I'm under the impression that this is a tactic used by Jews (especially women, and especially mothers speaking to their children) to retain control of their cultural integrity. But by cultural integrity I don't mean that the culture is the Semitic race. Interestingly, Semitic is now mostly obsolete outside of linguistics, but I have heard Jews speaking Hebrew.

It would be more like someone saying "you don't have to believe in God to be white," than "you don't have to believe in God to be a Catholic." However to complicate things further, most American Jews are Caucasian.

I once tried to explain to my Jewish friend that he was a Jew because his mother was Jewish... it didn't go over too well. :doh

Judaism is a religion. Hebrew is a race/nationality.

 

[Josie]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Maybe she was talking about being culturally Jewish. I know that if your mother is Jewish you are automatically considered Jewish even if you don't believe.

I understand that. I guess I was more taken aback that a rabbi said it. I was under the assumption (which might be my ignorance of the Jewish faith) that rabbis were similar to Christian pastors in that they are all believers who then guide their congregation in the faith. I can't imagine any Christian pastor saying anything like that. And if this rabbi doesn't think you have to believe in God to be Jewish, what is the point of going to synagogue? Isn't the service like a Christian service -- worshipping God?

 

[Celebrity]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Judaism is a religion. Hebrew is a race/nationality.

I would never say "I heard a Hebrew guy speaking Hebrew."

I know Jews who identify as "Jewish" and call themselves "Jewish."

I know of a nation called Israel, where a lot of Jews live, but I have only read about Hebrews.

 

[countryboy]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

Technically, he's right. Not all Jewish people are believers. Being Jewish is not a religion, practicing Judaism is. But it does seem an odd thing for a rabbi to say.

 

[RAMOSS]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

The vast majority of Jewish people do believe in God, however, there are a significant number of very Religious Jews that do not believe in a supernatural God. The concentration of the Jewish faith is the actions you take in this life. It is not uncommon to have many very religious, (i.e. practicing) Jewish people that do not accept a supernatural God... even in the orthodox congregations. The law is 'You will not have another god Before me', and not having any god is not having another God before the Jewish God. The Humanistic Jews and the Reconstruction Jews reject the concept of a supernatural deity.

 

[RAMOSS]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Technically, he's right. Not all Jewish people are believers. Being Jewish is not a religion, practicing Judaism is. But it does seem an odd thing for a rabbi to say.

No, not at al. Judiams tends to be a 'work' based religion, not a faith based one.

 

[Angelus]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

There is no original sin - there is no personal salvation. There is no real belief in an afterlife - more like speculation. No one has ever returned to talk about it. Judaism is about the choices you make in this life. No one knows what happens in the next one. It's all abut healing the creation (aka earth).

So Jews who are incredibly religious follow every small commandment - 613 of them - and they believe that following them will heal the earth. Secular, atheist, agnostic and JuBu's tend to focus on other means of healing the earth. The main commandment is fix this mess - and it doesn't matter what you believe. It doesn't even matter if you're a Jew.

 

[RAMOSS]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

There is no original sin - there is no personal salvation. There is no real belief in an afterlife - more like speculation. No one has ever returned to talk about it. Judaism is about the choices you make in this life. No one knows what happens in the next one. It's all abut healing the creation (aka earth).

So Jews who are incredibly religious follow every small commandment - 613 of them - and they believe that following them will heal the earth. Secular, atheist, agnostic and JuBu's tend to focus on other means of healing the earth. The main commandment is fix this mess - and it doesn't matter what you believe. It doesn't even matter if you're a Jew.

Just to point out, many of those 613 commandments are absolutely obsolete.. because they deal with behavior in the temple, and there is no temple any longer.

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The vast majority of Jewish people do believe in God, however, there are a significant number of very Religious Jews that do not believe in a supernatural God. The concentration of the Jewish faith is the actions you take in this life. It is not uncommon to have many very religious, (i.e. practicing) Jewish people that do not accept a supernatural God... even in the orthodox congregations. The law is 'You will not have another god Before me', and not having any god is not having another God before the Jewish God. The Humanistic Jews and the Reconstruction Jews reject the concept of a supernatural deity.

Thanks for this; great explanation.

There's a complexity to Judaism that I've always found interesting. This train of thought isn't *completely* alien to Christianity (Thomas Jefferson is a good example), but certainly nowhere near as common or oft-discussed.

 

[Apocalypse]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Jews are an ethnoreligious people.
You are Jewish if you convert to Judaism, you are Jewish if your mother was Jewish.

An atheist Jew is still part of the Jewish people just like an atheist Japanese is part of the Japanese people.
Jews are a people with shared history, language and culture the same way Japanese people are.
It's simply that Jews also share a religion that is unique to them. Hence ethnoreligious.

The reason why they go by the mother, by the way, is because back then you could tell who the mother was as the child was coming out of her, yet you couldn't always tell who the father was.

 

[vesper]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

Josie all I can add is in my studies in the number of Rabbis that have weighed in over time over thousands of years, it doesn't surprise me what you heard.

Heck go back no further than Yeshua confronting the religious leaders of the day. What made up the Sanhedrin were known as Pharisees and Sadducee. Pharisees believed in angels and after life and Sadducee didn't . You don't hear Jews and Rabbis using Sadducee or Pharisee but you see Jews adapting to their different beliefs to this day.

That isn't a cut because the "Church" has the same problem. Heck you would be hard pressed to find three Christians to believe in total agreement on anything.

I think it takes a personal relationship with G-d in supplication to know about Him and understand. Turn all the noise off and focus on G-d and His Word. It truly is a personal relationship. with a loving G-D.

 

[Atiya]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Jewish identity covers ethnic and cultural areas as well as religious belief, (or not) so "Jewish atheist" isn't a contradiction.

I agree with your statement. I know many Jews who are atheists. Traditionally, Monotheism is said to begin with the Hebrew tribe who kept this religion alive, introducing it to the rest of the world after the Pharoah who discovered this concept died, so if one is born within said tribe one doesn't necessarily have to believe in God.

 

[Logicman]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The other day I was listening to a radio show where an interview was taking place. The interviewee was a Jewish woman in her 20s. She said something that took me completely off guard so I thought I'd ask about it here. She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish. She said it quickly and then moved on to something else, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm very confused by this statement. Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

It's supposed to. There's plenty of examples in the Old and New Testament of how Israel / the Jews got themselves into terrible trouble by ignoring God and/or by pursuing other so-called "gods" (who are not gods but idols made out of stone or wood, etc.).

Deuteronomy chapter 28 lists the blessing of obedience to the Lord, and the curses of disobedience to the Lord.

 

[Logicman]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

No, not at al. Judiams tends to be a 'work' based religion, not a faith based one.

That's what a lot of Jews and others think, but that's not true.

Like Christianity, Judaism is a faith-based religion, IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR SCRIPTURES:

Righteousness comes by faith: "Abram believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:6

"..all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." - Isaiah 64:6

"the righteous shall live by their faith." - Habukkak 2:4

 

[Logicman]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

The vast majority of Jewish people do believe in God, however, there are a significant number of very Religious Jews that do not believe in a supernatural God. The concentration of the Jewish faith is the actions you take in this life. It is not uncommon to have many very religious, (i.e. practicing) Jewish people that do not accept a supernatural God... even in the orthodox congregations. The law is 'You will not have another god Before me', and not having any god is not having another God before the Jewish God. The Humanistic Jews and the Reconstruction Jews reject the concept of a supernatural deity.

Which is their folly.

 

[RAMOSS]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

That's what a lot of Jews and others think, but that's not true.

Like Christianity, Judaism is a faith-based religion, IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR SCRIPTURES:

Righteousness comes by faith: "Abram believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:6

"..all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." - Isaiah 64:6

"the righteous shall live by their faith." - Habukkak 2:4

I notice you love to tell Jewish people what they believe. , and you don't know how to quote in context.

 

[Angelus]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

That's what a lot of Jews and others think, but that's not true.

Like Christianity, Judaism is a faith-based religion, IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR SCRIPTURES:

Righteousness comes by faith: "Abram believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:6

"..all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." - Isaiah 64:6

"the righteous shall live by their faith." - Habukkak 2:4

If it's what a lot of Jews think - including Rabbis then it's the truth.

You interpret the bible like a Christian would, which is why you see it differently.

 

[Conaeolos]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

She said that her rabbi told the congregation (is that the right word?) that you don't have to believe in God to be Jewish.

Struggle is considered apart of the faith as is doubt. So without flinching this idea would be commonly expressed within faithful jewish circles. I say common as spiritual arguments are another extension of this principle and everywhere from begning till now.

Doesn't the entire Jewish religion center around the existence of an almighty God?

Yes exactly…God is the One. Covenants are yours regardless of action or belief….

Maybe this will help:

If one is 100% certain there is God but the definition of God is left blank, since “I am that which I am” then the question of believing in supernatural God becomes different than the question of following judaism..which in traditional language, would be expessed: “There is but one undefinable God” and the jewish people [brought up in the faith] hold a “priesthood”(special requirements / exceptions).

Thus an atheistic orthodox jew might think God is “idealized humanity”
where as,
spiritual orthodox jew is going to think God is supernatural in quite familar terms.

both opinions, the source of much argument but ultimely irrelevant as to being jewish aferall “God is that which he is" so as long as one roughtly follows the tradtions and accept the jewish peope as preisthood there is a lot of gray.

 

[iguanaman]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Apparently not anymore, I looked into it a while back and could never find an answer as to why Judism survives when a large part are atheist only that it does :shrug:

Probably for the same reason that Christianity survives when a large portion of them are complete hypocrites who don't have a clue what Jesus taught. They were taught by their parents.

 

[nota bene]

Re: A question about the Jewish faith

Probably for the same reason that Christianity survives when a large portion of them are complete hypocrites who don't have a clue what Jesus taught. They were taught by their parents.

How large a portion? Please be as precise as you can be and supply evidence to support your estimation.