Jews: A Religious Community, a People, or a Race?

[Sergius]

Equating Jews with Judaism is not the same as equating them with Zionism. Zionism is not the Jewish ideology, just as Israel is not the Jewish state.

[Konflikt]

Sorry maybe my post was ambiguous. I think whats unite the jewish race to people or their religion or the zionism. Their religion and the zionism is the two thing whats can unite the jews.

Originally Posted by Gil

In biological terms they are not, as a whole, a different "race", since they are very heterogeneous, and as such do not qualify as a "race" but perhaps as an ethnic group (some common phenotypical traits and culture).
They are, no doubt about it, a sectarian religious community and a "people", if people is understood as ethnicity+culture.

True, it is not a race, but i'm not sure wethere it is a religion,howerver if Compare to other religion, Judaism is a religion which as no dogma, and no formal set of beliefs. but its a tradition for sure, Jews are known for '' Diaspora''

Jacque

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by jacque

True, it is not a race, but i'm not sure wethere it is a religion,howerver if Compare to other religion, Judaism is a religion which as no dogma, and no formal set of beliefs. but its a tradition for sure, Jews are known for '' Diaspora''

Jacque

Jews have a very strict set of religious laws and dogma.
Visit your local rabbi to find out more.

Originally Posted by Milesian

Jews have a very strict set of religious laws and dogma.
Visit your local rabbi to find out more.

So you know more than me is it? You are mixing religion and tradition go and read the Torah

jacque

[Sergius]

The Talmud deals with Jewish moral precepts, laws, and so on. The Torah does not.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by jacque

So you know more than me is it? You are mixing religion and tradition go and read the Torah

The Torah is one of the three books of the Tanakh, of which the Torah is the most important part of Judaism as Jews consider that it was revealed to Moses by Yaveh, their god.

I don't think that Milesian is trying to show off any superior knowledge here. The problem is that you are being stubborn at denying what is so evident, that is that Judaism is a religion.

@ Ljubomir: the Talmud are rabbinic teachings and as far as I know it also contains laws.

Originally Posted by Mynydd

The Torah is one of the three books of the Tanakh, of which the Torah is the most important part of Judaism as Jews consider that it was revealed to Moses by Yaveh, their god.

I don't think that Milesian is trying to show off any superior knowledge here. The problem is that you are being stubborn at denying what is so evident, that is that Judaism is a religion.

Because I have Jew friends who say it is not a religion, i do agree its Law, but what is law? the way we need to live,such as not to eat ham, according to the Torah,I studied religion one semester, Judaism its not a religion, its a doctrine, how a person should live. Howerver if you think it is, than its fine.

@ Ljubomir: the Talmud are rabbinic teachings and as far as I know it also contains laws.

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by jacque

Because I have Jew friends who say it is not a religion, i do agree its Law, but what is law? the way we need to live,such as not to eat ham, according to the Torah,I studied religion one semester, Judaism its not a religion, its a doctrine, how a person should live. Howerver if you think it is, than its fine.

The Torah is but one of the three parts of the Tanakh. And there is more to Judaism than just the Tanakh.

It does define a set of religious beliefs, practices and observance, as well as a religious faith. Yet it is not a religion?

What is then a religion according to you.. or your friend?

[Reltih]

Benjamin Netanyahu, ...."If Israel had not come into existence after World War II than [sic] I
am certain the Jewish race wouldn't have survived."

Sometimes the word 'race' is used with different connotation, as in f.e. ''the Human race" meaning rather civilization-community-culture. It refers not to any specific physical pattern. Jews certainly do have some overwhelming anthropological face nontheless, yet they are very mixed since the days of the pharaohs and probably well before that.

[Sergius]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

@ Ljubomir: the Talmud are rabbinic teachings and as far as I know it also contains laws.

It does. That's what I meant.

[Breogan]

Originally Posted by jacque

Because I have Jew friends who say it is not a religion, i do agree its Law, but what is law? the way we need to live,such as not to eat ham, according to the Torah,I studied religion one semester, Judaism its not a religion, its a doctrine, how a person should live. Howerver if you think it is, than its fine.

You're right trying to get an additional concept overflying this discussion, judaism is a UNIQUE religion, and not just one more religion in the world.
The only religion who claims for its "chosen people" and considers the rest ones like cattle. In fact their vision has triumphed and created the modern world we are fighting.

[Sergius]

I would not say that, Breogan. The chosenist element in Judaism isn't different from the ethno-centrism of most pagan religions (the real ones, of course, not the modern versions). What differentiates them is that the Jews have maintained this in the modern world.

"Men make gods in their own image; those of the Ethiopians are black and snub-nosed, those of the Thracians have blue eyes and red hair."
-Xenophon

[kanz]

I would say that they are a race tbh. They have some racial triats of there own which is a no brainer. Shame that it usually is the nose, since someone who has had alot of punches to the nose can apear to be jewish.