Judaism

I know as a Christian, if I were to marry someone of another faith I wouldn't try to convert them. Religious belief is a personal thing. Of course, I would want them to convert, but it's not a legally binding thing.

The converting topic my uncle told me about. He's a pastor and I guess he marries a lot of people. The religion topic is one of the first sets of questions he asks each couple. He asked me and my husband about our religions as well and tried convincing me I had to convert if we were to get married. He never ended up marrying us so I didn't have to. Next time I see him I'm going to ask more about it.

I'm Jewish (specifically, reform and Ashkenazi) and Israeli -- I only consider myself as such because I have a dual-citizenship and both of my parents are Israeli.

I like being Jewish. c:

As being Jewish runs down the mother's side, and from what I've learned in my Judaism course, if, say, my nan was Jewish but doesn't raise my mother in any religion and she follows suit, does that still make me Jewish? My course said that it runs down the mother's side and as long as none of the women go into another religion, it passes on through their blood to their daughters.

It's just, the more I learn about it and understand the religion, the more I feel that maybe this is the religion for me. I've had no belief in anything for all my life - nothing has been forced on me, either - and as I've grown up, I never really thought that religion would be for me. But knowing that being Jewish runs down the mother's side, and that it actually does run down through my blood from my nan, it's appealing to me more than any other belief has.

@ castiel's vessel
As I understand it there's religious Judaism and racial Judaism and the racial is the blood part. The religion anyone can be, even if there's no blood. (You have to convert, but yeah.)

@ dru's not growing up
Religion goes via mother, though. If a man is racially Jewish his children will also be racially Jewish, but not religiously Jewish. They will only be religiously Jewish through the mother. You're right they can convert, but it is a huge deal. So, castiel's vessel is correct, she is Jewish by descent. Because it runs down the maternal line of her family. That would also mean no conversion were necessary, even if her Nan was not religious. Most racial Jews would descend from Jews who were religious. Though if a woman converted to Judaism her children could automatically be considered Jewish.

@ The Pies Endure
How is religion genetic? Don't you have to, like, believe stuff?

@ the undead's vessel
It doesn't run through your blood in the genetic sense. It's passed through the mother's side in the same way that last names are passed down from father's, it's something completely cultural. And according to Jewish law, even if your mother does convert to another religion or doesn't practice, they still consider you Jewish as long as your grandmother was Jewish before your mom was born. Your mom would still even be considered Jewish, because there is no "converting out" in Judaism.

@ dru's not growing up
It's not genetic, it just passed culturally down the mother's side in Judaism like last names pass down the father's side (traditionally, at least) . I don't think it's any different then saying a baby is a Christian because his parents are and had him baptized. If they grow up and deicide they don't believe in it, they won't care about Jewish inheritance laws anyways and won't consider themselves Jewish. The only people who believe you're Jewish for life (in a religious sense) and cannot leave the faith are Jewish people, there is no external, objective law or regulation that says you're Jewish forever.

And of course this is all traditional Judaism... Reform Judaism does let you convert out and stops recognizing children as Jewish, and reform Rabbi's recognize Judaism in children if only one parent, mother or father, is Jewish.

@ dru's not growing up
I never said it was genetic, though?