Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site hou5e.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!vax135!ariel!hou4b!hou5f!hou5g!hou5h!hou5a!hou5d!hou5e!elb
From: elb@hou5e.UUCP (Ellen Bart)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Christian Jews
Message-ID: <1073@hou5e.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Jan-85 08:27:03 EST
Article-I.D.: hou5e.1073
Posted: Tue Jan 22 08:27:03 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Jan-85 05:58:35 EST
References: <500@ittral.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 24

You are essentially correct that a person is born a Jew (or converts)
and then remains a Jew regardless of practices and beliefs.  And it
is also true that the person may then adopt Christian practices.

The problem I think is partially a semantic one.  Judaism does not
distiguish *in the same way* that Christianity does between 1) a member
of the religious party  2) a practicing member of the religious party.
You said a Christian believes in Jesus.  If a person doesn't believe, he's
not a Christian.

In Judaism, you are a Jew whether you believe or not.  That *belonging*
however carries with it certain obligations of belief and practice.
A Jew who does not fulfill his religious obligations is still (as far
as Judaism is concerned) a Jew -- just one who has temporarily
strayed and will hopefully become a practicing member again.  The Jewish
community never considers that person anything but a Jew.  And since
belief in Jesus is inconsistent with Judaism,  that person is not a
Christian.

The outside world, admittedly, may view things differently.



Ellen Bart