Jews and Sikhs

January 26, 2008, 11:20 PM

they dont have much in common, yet they are both viewed as races rather than religions

people are often called half jewish, which to me seems rather odd as i have always viewed judaism as a religion and not as a race.

so do you think that jews and sikhs are a race of people or are they a member of a religion ie christians, and if you are jewish or a sikh do you see yourself as member of religion or as a race of people?
discuss

January 26, 2008, 11:45 PM

I don't know much about Sikhs, but
Being Jewish is both. You can be Jewish by religion or by race, but generally people don't just convert to Judaism.
Those Jews who didn't convert to Christianity kept to themselves, and with that being Jewish remained both a race and a religion. Those who converted to Christianity generally bred with Europeans.
And Jews eventually scattered, but kept to themselves. There are certain characteristics which separate ethnic Jews from other caucasian ethnic groups. And Jewish people often kept their religion.

January 27, 2008, 12:35 AM

Actually, I thought there was a distinction between a Jew, a term related to religion, and a semite, a term related to race. So a semite is a person who is part of a race of peoples that generally practice Judaism, and a Jew is a person who practices Judaism. So it's entirely possible for someone to be a semite and not practice Judaism (even if they might be considered unethical), it's just very unlikely, but a Jew ALWAYS practices Judaism. It's probably because there are so many semites that are Jewish as well that the term gets used synonymously.

January 27, 2008, 4:55 AM

Well I don't know much about it but it does seem to be semi connected. Antisemitism is being anti jew but it's sematic. So I don't know but they seem to be connected. I could tell you a lot about Judaisim though because I am a jew ^^

**Battle Royale: Profiles** · January 28, 2008, 3:20 AM

I was born into a Jewish family, but I see it ONLY as religion. My family would agree.

The reason I say this, is because, I'm not considered a Jew, because I'm not practicing. If we were to refer to being Jewish as a race, then I'd be able to go: "Oh, that person isn't African anymore."

You can't remove yourself from whatever race you are, but you can choose to be Jewish or not.

Which means...it's a religion, not a race.

Last Note: I think half-Jews are something I find laughable. I had a classmate who got angry with me when I laughed at her for being a 'Jew for Jesus." A Jew for Jesus, is a Christian. Half-Jews don't exist, because the defining line between Judaism and Christianity is the worship, or denial of Christ as a savior.

Some people might say it's odd for people to be like "Oh, I'm half Jewish," like it's race-oriented, but I've heard people say "I'm half Catholic on my father's side," etc.

So, again...Jews=Christians=Muslims=RELIGIONS, not RACES.

January 28, 2008, 6:48 PM

I've noticed that in the past people tend to segregate Religions to an extent they percieve them as a different race from their own. This is what you could call accidental discrimanation. People arent being educated enough to realise that these people are a part of a faith or religion not a race of people.

January 29, 2008, 4:34 AM

Yea I guess I'm not really religious either I haven't been to any type of religious activity for about 4 months... But I do know that my grandparents go every week and they want to continue taking me although I'd rather not go.
I like to stay out of religion.

January 29, 2008, 4:41 AM

I dont really see how a Jew could be a race seeing as its something someone chooses to be (unless they are forced because of there family) I think that its just a religion because people dont choose to be black or white, they are just born that way. You can become a Jew later in life if you feel like it but you cant become a different race... unless you do something like what Micheal Jackson did...

January 29, 2008, 5:23 PM

Maybe they are counted as a different race as Jew's supposed immigrated (according to the bible) from Israel to othger countries and therefore they could be counted as Middle Eastern. Havnt said that people from the Middle East arent considered another race...also not all Jew's are related to the people who immigrated from Israel. Hmmm it really makes no sense.