What Kind of Jew Are You?

Anglican, I guess.

Xon-Tay Lor wrote: It's time to forget this entire tradition and embrace something more rational, in my opinion.

People can't just forget something that they believe that they know in their heart to be true...

If someone believes beyond doubt that they have encountered God (or any other divinity), they can't just decide not to believe in it any more, no matter how much they might want to be able to...

Religion doesn't work like that...it often isn't a choice

Religion doesn't work like that...it often isn't a choice

Agreed. Indoctrination at a young age plays a major role. Although it would be great if people could take a step back from what they "know", to unlearn what they have learned, they should not be held responsible for believing in what was presented as fact to them when they were very young.

I agree, people should be able to believe what they want to believe, but belief is a choice...even if you've been indoctrinated at a young age. If not, then why should we be responsible for anything?

Wendaline wrote: I agree, people should be able to believe what they want to believe, but belief is a choice...even if you've been indoctrinated at a young age. If not, then why should we be responsible for anything?

I agree, whether someone was raised and educated in a specific religious tradition or not does not seal there faith.

There are many who were raised in one religion and later changed it. Many Jews become Buddhist, Many Christians become Jews, Many Muslims become Christians.

Look at Scientology.. a majority of it's adherents were born of another faith a very small amount are second generation Scientologist.

We can see the same in ideology... How many Americans were raised in and taught the values of Democracy and have now embraced Socialism. How many in the Soviet Union were rased under Socialism and now embrace Democracy after socialism failed there.

Indoctrination as an excuse for stunted growth or adherence to certain beliefs is less a reality then some would have us to believe. Studies and exposure to others in of it self over powers any excuse of preprograming.

Life is about choice... that is how ex-gangmembers and ex-cons reform and leave behind their criminal lives. It is how people adjust and grow once their carreers or employment become absolete.. look at any community college campus.. while 18-21 year olds may be the staple... the number of 30-40 year old returning students is a constant reality.

According to this chart, I used to be a Judaism, Christian, Pauline, Nestorian, Islamic, Shia(group of leavers), Ithanshari(12) Jew.

I'm wondering if Jediism can fall into any of this categorize... Perhaps...

How many Americans were raised in and taught the values of Democracy and have now embraced Socialism. How many in the Soviet Union were rased under Socialism and now embrace Democracy after socialism failed there.

You seem to be confusing democracy with capitalism, and socialism with dictatorship.

ren wrote:

How many Americans were raised in and taught the values of Democracy and have now embraced Socialism. How many in the Soviet Union were rased under Socialism and now embrace Democracy after socialism failed there.

You seem to be confusing democracy with capitalism, and socialism with dictatorship.

Not really a confusion. If you look at it... Countries that generally embrace Democracy like The U.S. and Israel generally embrace Capitalism.. while Socialist Countries like The Soviet Union, Viet Nam, Cuba, China etc generally dictatorships.

MCSH wrote: I'm wondering if Jediism can fall into any of this categorize

Jediism as I understand it has very little relation to the Abrahamic tradition. The only similarity I see is the division of the world into "light side" and "dark side", but that derives more from Zoroastrianism and especially Manichaeism.

Rav Adam: I wouldn't call the US democratic. the vote of a citizen in one state is not worth the vote of a citizen in another state. This shows all are not equal when it comes to leading the country (a recurrent theme in US history). While it can be argued the US are "democratic enough", it can also be argued they are socialist, through various emplyment, disability, etc programmes. It can also be argued the US have created more dictatorships than democracies...

Fact is, whether things seem to be one way or the other, democracy is the running of the country by the people, and socialism is the redistribution of wealth. One does not exclude the other. Besides, the marxist ideal of "dictature of the proletariat" is no less democratic than the US electoral college system...

Ren, i will agree that we are not a true Democracy, we are a Representative Federalist Democracy. I would also say that we need to remove the Electoral College from our process. Our President should be elected by the popular vote not based on the amount of large states the candidate wins. I do not know how the country would have fared under Gore, but who knows.

I would say that we do have, at least in my opinion, the best system, although i do believe that we are headed down the wrong road currently and that we are slipping closer and closer to a socialist state.