How can one be Jewish if he/she is not observant?

[mystic]

This is baffling me guys. I come across many people who say they are Jewish but they are not observant, how can this be please? 

First if all my thinking is since Judaism is not a race but rather a religion, if say my parents would be Catholic, that doesn't make me a Christian does it?

So in the same way if someone comes from ancestors who practiced Judaism I can't see how that would make them jewish.

[alon]

Being "Jewish" is a complex issue.

Judaism is a race (more or less), a culture, and a religion. Gentiles who believe in Yeshua say they are grafted in, adoptive Jews, based on the teachings of Rav Shaul. We also have biblical evidence of Gentiles being grafted into Israel: the mxed multitudes of the Exodus, Ruth, Rachav, all were Gentiles who were grafted into Israel.

If you are born a Gentile and grafted in however, you must be as obedient as possible to remain grafted. Remember the discourse on pruning the olive tree. Now you know from your own situation that absolute obedience is not always possible. But we do the best we can and trust HaShem to be merciful, extending grace in those situations.

Dan C   

[mystic]

Jun 13, 2020 4:38:50 GMT -8 alon said:

Judaism is a race (more or less), a culture, and a religion. 

Dan C   

This I have to look into some more as I cannot understand how Judaism can be a race?

This is I found in my initial search is saying it's not a race: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/are-jews-a-nation-or-a-religion

[mystic]

Well, this is one possible answer to my question here: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/who-is-a-jew

According to Jewish law, a child born to a Jewish mother or an adult who has converted to Judaism is considered a Jew; one does not have to reaffirm their Jewishness or practice any of the laws of the to be Jewish. According to Reform Judaism, a person is a Jew if they were born to either a Jewish mother or a Jewish father.