Judaism and Racism

I have long been a critic of religion in all forms and denominations. However, all to often I find that my stance of Judaism is called racist.

Now I am no holocaust denier or supporter. However, I do feel that Israel was given to the Jewish people unfairly and I do openly criticize Jewish practices (circumcision aka forced genital mutilation) and call Jewish people just as silly as their Muslim, Christian, ect counterparts for the beliefs. Numerous times however I've been called racist for this, as if Judaism is somehow an ethnicity and not a religion.

So in short, I ask this. Judaism, a religion or an ethnicity (I don't like the term "race" as we are all the human race regardless of any differences we may have.)

Judaism is certainly not a race, in my mind. It's as much of an ethnicity as Buddhism or Scientology. Judaism, by definition, is the practice of the Jewish religion. Nothing more, nothing less. You can have a black Jew, or a Chinese Jew, an Arab or a white Jew, etc etc. No one can say that those people are any less Jewish than your average Jew just because of the colour of their skin. Now that would be racist! Sure, you can have "Jewish blood", ie. be related to somebody who practices Judaism, but that wouldn't automatically make you Jewish. Not at all.

Then there's the question of the 10 lost tribes. If Judaism were an ethnicity, then who's really "Jewish"? Only the 2 tribes that remained, and all their descendants? Or were all original 12 tribes truly "Jewish"? If so, does that mean there are "Jewish" descendants of the lost tribes running around today, having absolutely no idea that they're actually Jewish? What if they think they're Sikh? Does that mean they're doomed to go to hell, be it Jewish or Sikh hell? Does that make them infidels?? Nah. Makes no sense!

Judaism is a religion, and all religions are fair game, open for criticism!

Kiefer.

Difficult to paint a "religion" with one brush. Have you read the Zohar ?

Sorry to quote Einstein again, but here's what he has to say about Judaism:

"It is clear also that "serving God" was equated with "serving the living". The best of the Jewish people, especially the Prophets and Jesus, contended tirelessly for this. Judaism is thus no transcendental religion; it is concerned with life as we live it and as we can, to a certain extent, grasp it, and nothing else. It seems to me, therefore, doubtful whether it can be called a religion in the accepted sense of the word, particularly as no "faith" but the sanctification of life in a supra-personal sense is demanded of the Jew.

But the Jewish tradition also contains something else, something which finds splendid expression in many of the Psalms, namely, a sort of intoxicated joy and amazement at the beauty and grandeur of this world, of which man can form just a faint notion. This joy is the feeling from which true scientific research draws its spiritual sustenance, but which also seems to find expression in the song of birds. To tack this feeling to the idea of God seems mere childish absurdity."

Judaism is a religion.
Jewish are a race.(Or ethnicity if you want to use that word.)
Jewish do not all profess the religion of Judaism.

Therefore it is not racist to call someone out on Judaism.
Only an ignorant fool would commit to the idea all Jewish are Judaist.
Consider how many Jewish have been excommunicated(Cherem) by their families in North America for not marrying Jewish women.

Look at the cherem of Spinoza
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza

Yes - cherem for saying this:

” As an infinite substance, God is the greatest thing that can be conceived. Moreover, since everything other than God is a mode of God, and since modes can neither be nor be conceived without the substance of which they are modes, nothing else can be or be conceived apart from God.”

And (the make-believe) Essa/Yeshua was crucified for saying this:

" On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." John 14:20

and "nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you" Luke 17:21

They said the exact same thing. And both were booted out.

Incorrect, metatron.
In Spinoza's cherem there was no record of statement to reasoning.
All records of Spinoza's cherem in their original format do not state a reason.
Nor do the original records(that exist) even state witnesses to the ceremony.

You're speculating based on half-truths here.

I'm not speculating on anything.

Then you are downright wrong.

I'm wrong a lot of the time. But I'm not a Freemason.

I'm just your average atheist.

I've said it before and I will say it again.
Your research is erroneous.
Not everything you see is as it appears to be.