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Image via WikipediaNOTE: For all people that dislike Hebrews, Israelites, The Chosen People, or the many other ways of addressing those whom ,you perceive to be the object of my topic; I'm afraid you're at the wrong blog. Anyone allowed to complete process can be Jewish. Beyond that fact you're in the wrong blog because hate of a religion, people, race, gender, region etc., tells anyone observing, more about your problems, faults and needs, than your purported reasons for the feeling that you have. Someone that has done you a legitimate wrong has no more to do with the majority of others that "look" or worship like them than one grain of sand from another grain of sand. Anyone that that has done you an imaginary wrong, has caused you no hurt. The problem rests with you and I wish you better emotional and mental health. With that bit of bookkeeping done, we can now proceed.
Let's get to the meat of the topic. Jewish is not a race. Jewish is a religion. Saying Jewish is a race is akin to someone insulting my Catholic heritage and me yelling RACIST. Yes.. yes that's a pretty funny idea. But let's take it a step further. Let's call Muslims 1.(mŭz'ləm, mʊz'-, mŭs'-, mʊs'-) or Moslem 2.[ˈmɒzləm] a race. Each time we judge one of these individuals or profile a Mosque we're being racist. Right? Sorry but that would be wrong. "But..but we are!" you gasp. "We're grouping a people together and making judgments about them..that's racist!" No it's a prejudice against a religion. It is not against a people. No less vile, but different.
For years it was said electing a Catholic to the presidency would put the United States into the hands of the Pope. It was a very real fear. Then John F. Kennedy, a professed Catholic, ran for office and though that idea never went away, it did not keep him from the White House. Nor subsequently assassins' bullets. I do not acquiesce to the "lone gunman" theory, but that is another blog for another day. But I meander, let us return to the topic.
A race is a people which comes from a place, in which some defining issue can be attributed to them. 3.
Religion is the worship of a deity, normally observed to be the supreme being and usually with the use of symbols, artifacts and traditions. 4.
These definitions and there are many, tend to generally have some similarities between the two concepts. However, there is a distinctive difference. Religion has a degree of worship intertwined within it. A race normally has to be associated with a place. Gypsies are not a race, but more a designation of habits, yet they are known to be associated with certain areas. So, yes there are races of people within the Gypsy clans. 5.
Let's keep this simple. Let's associate people that live and act a certain way over a period of three to four generations and can declare a point of origin, as a race. This race of course does not have to worship the same way but needs to have a somewhat homogeneous language and set of laws. There may be subsets within this race but the identifiable markers still allow these people to be seen as a single race despite the feelings of these subsets.
Individuals in most countries can become naturalized citizens. If born in the United.States as an example, a few of the steps in my definition may be skipped. Though the people will be seen as black, white, brown and other colors of the hue, and may separate themselves from each other, they are really a race. Getting intriguing yet? Because of the fact that the United States is a land of immigrants and there is a homogeneous group of laws, language and culture, this "great experiment" has created a race of "people of color". We fight it at every turn and pull back into out disparate cultures, but our children through social media and the freedom associated with travel are plunging us forward into this obvious future. However...I meander. Let's get back to the point.
If the ties that bind are of a religious nature and the culture and actions of the people subsist simply to cultivate this practice then you do not have a race. A subset of the race which may include the majority of the people in the area, may follow the religion. But the race issue refers to the people, as a whole, on the continent, island or sphere of local influence. In Iran the Muslim religion reigns supreme but the race consists of Iranians or if you prefer Palestinians. 6. The Jewish community exists in many areas of the world and it is easy to classify them as a whole. But that would be wrong. There are American Jews, African Jews, Armenian Jews and of course Israelites that practice Judaism. The list is not meant to be inconclusive and it is not. It simply helps clarify the point..
Well , do you agree? Disagree? Tell me why. A simple "you're wrong !" is a reason. Just not a good one.
NOTE 1: Copyright © 2010 Answers Corporation or Moslems
NOTE 2: Copyright © 2010 Farlex, Inc.
NOTE 3: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Race
NOTE 4: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion
NOTE 5: http://www.goodmagic.com/carny/gypsies.htm
NOTE 6: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=22564
EPILOGUE
NOTES:
A)The articles below are for informational purposes and do not necessarily express my opinions. I have no problem giving my opinions directly.
B) Color was not a focus or defining issue for a definition of race. It can be the first thing someone else notices, but may not define race for the person in question
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