Definitional Niceties

[PatsFanInVa]

But seeing as you arent converting blood, that must mean you are converting beliefs, right?
So if a mother is changing what she believes and is therefore now Jewish, does that make her child believe what she believes? After all, their connection is blood. Biological.
By this logic and religious practice it says to me that according to Judaism what we believe changes what we are, otherwise, why would a mothers change of belief have an effect on the "bloodline" of her child?
Is Faith and belief so powerful that it trumps the physical?
That is quite a testimony to the power of belief. That in itself tells me that Judaism is so driven by Faith that it demonstrates by this example the ability of man to change from the "old man" to the "new man" by coming to know God differently. To be.....Born again?

Again, the process and laws that relate to acceptance into the Jewish people have their roots in something akin to citizenship. This is always worth bearing in mind. After the original conquest of the land, it is possible your village could simply be overrun by Judah in an expansionary phase. In that circumstance it might behoove you to "serve" the Jewish God than your local pantheon, especially since, well, your local god or pantheon would have just lost. Simpler times.

"Jewry" - the phenomenon of being "born a Jew" - was never about racism. So faith being "stronger than bloodlines", while a correct assessment in very broad strokes, may be wedging the facts into our current molds of thinking. There likely were "good" and "bad" Jews, and Jews of little faith who were every bit as Jewish in the hereditary/citizenship sense, as Jews who worshipped fervently. Since the bible records that certain men and women were close to God or fervent in worship, one must conclude that certain others were less so.

In more modern times, you could leave a trinitarian world-view (for example) and adopt the Jewish world-view, which would more likely happen for reasons more familiar to us -- the intellectual or spiritual conversion, or perhaps conversion for the purpose of marriage (actually, Judaism demands you convert with no ulterior motive, but I suspect marriage is one motive that does not get as much scrutiny as other ulterior motives.) Regardless, the traditional Jewish process is made to weed out snap decisions, deeply felt but short-lived revelations, or conversions for convenience. Judaism traditionally makes it hard to convert for these reasons.

Modern or ancient, however, rabbis have written that we should honor the "Jew by choice" that much more, since he is "called" to Judaism. The convert is not "less of a Jew" or "only sorta Jewish." Andre Tippett is as Jewish as the head rabbi of Jerusalem.

PFnV

 

[3 to be 4]

Again, the process and laws that relate to acceptance into the Jewish people have their roots in something akin to citizenship. This is always worth bearing in mind. After the original conquest of the land, it is possible your village could simply be overrun by Judah in an expansionary phase. In that circumstance it might behoove you to "serve" the Jewish God than your local pantheon, especially since, well, your local god or pantheon would have just lost. Simpler times.

"Jewry" - the phenomenon of being "born a Jew" - was never about racism. So faith being "stronger than bloodlines", while a correct assessment in very broad strokes, may be wedging the facts into our current molds of thinking. There likely were "good" and "bad" Jews, and Jews of little faith who were every bit as Jewish in the hereditary/citizenship sense, as Jews who worshipped fervently. Since the bible records that certain men and women were close to God or fervent in worship, one must conclude that certain others were less so.

In more modern times, you could leave a trinitarian world-view (for example) and adopt the Jewish world-view, which would more likely happen for reasons more familiar to us -- the intellectual or spiritual conversion, or perhaps conversion for the purpose of marriage (actually, Judaism demands you convert with no ulterior motive, but I suspect marriage is one motive that does not get as much scrutiny as other ulterior motives.) Regardless, the traditional Jewish process is made to weed out snap decisions, deeply felt but short-lived revelations, or conversions for convenience. Judaism traditionally makes it hard to convert for these reasons.

Modern or ancient, however, rabbis have written that we should honor the "Jew by choice" that much more, since he is "called" to Judaism. The convert is not "less of a Jew" or "only sorta Jewish." Andre Tippett is as Jewish as the head rabbi of Jerusalem.

PFnV

Absolutely. In fact, the convert has made a thought out decision, as opposed to just doing what was expected or what he/she was born into.

I ran into that in Christianity in the South. Being a convert, and from the north, no less. In talking with other northerners, or for that matter, any newer "born again", it was apparent that there was a passion there. It wasnt like it was cultural expectation to just go to church on sundays. We found many southern christians to be more "religious" about their duties of Christianity. Conversly, a friend of mine from Atlanta who was Christian and had moved north to Massachusetts often talks about how to be a practicing Christian in Massachusetts was much more passion filled for him and those he worshipped with than what he grew up with. In his words "To be a Born again in Massachusetts, you have to have sincere passionate belief!"

So i agree with that idea that Andre Tippett (who i didnt know had converted, btw) is to be honored.

Faith, and conscience belief, means more, in the practice of any religion, than mere bloodlines. That may seem like a no-brainer, but im always surprised on the focus on race in these matters.

a certain whackjob in Germany being the most notable.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think it's a matter of a very old nationality becoming an ethnic group by dint of common religion and common experience of exile. So you have a basically national/religious citizenship/confessional group (they're the same in any good theocracy,) maintained within Jewry/Judaism. That can lead people who don't dwell on the definitional niceties to conclude there is a Jewish "race."

Well, there is a kinship group, but it's a kinship group you can join at will (although, as we've seen, you can not exactly depart.) The Muslims allow the death penalty for apostasy; Judaism just allows you to still be a Jew. Probably an outgrowth of having low numbers.

PFnV