OK Guys, let Fester clear all this shit up.
"race" is not a helpful term, as scientists and sociologists can't agree 100% what it even means when it comes to the human "race."
The question is, when it comes to the term "jew" or "jewish," does it have both religious and genetic aspects - and the answer is undoubtedly yes.
One can be genetically a "jew," meaning that you are a descendant of (what is now) Israel's original inhabitants, but not a "jew" in terms of religion -
or you could be both. You can be a "jew" or "jewish" in terms of religion, but not genetically a descendant from ancient Israel.
Now, scientists do argue over whether or not all ethnic Jewish populations across the globe are genetically homogeneous, and share a common
middle eastern ancestry. I'm not qualified to answer that question, but clearly many/most ethnic Jews do descend from ancient Israel:
http://forward.com/news/israel/175912/jews-a-race-genetic-theory-comes-under-fierce-atta/
"race" is not a helpful term, as scientists and sociologists can't agree 100% what it even means when it comes to the human "race."
The question is, when it comes to the term "jew" or "jewish," does it have both religious and genetic aspects - and the answer is undoubtedly yes.
One can be genetically a "jew," meaning that you are a descendant of (what is now) Israel's original inhabitants, but not a "jew" in terms of religion -
or you could be both. You can be a "jew" or "jewish" in terms of religion, but not genetically a descendant from ancient Israel.
Now, scientists do argue over whether or not all ethnic Jewish populations across the globe are genetically homogeneous, and share a common
middle eastern ancestry. I'm not qualified to answer that question, but clearly many/most ethnic Jews do descend from ancient Israel:
http://forward.com/news/israel/175912/jews-a-race-genetic-theory-comes-under-fierce-atta/
To the topic at hand...Jewish is a religion only, by my definition of race. Sounds like that's up for debate.
Where the argument comes in...some Jewish people/communities (and I can see the same for other religions) may identify as Jewish seemingly making their race "Jewish". Like many who were born into Jewish families, but don't practice the faith still consider themselves Jewish. Maybe its like how we call all tissue paper Kleenex...its easier to explain that way, but doesn't mean it's actually Kleenex.
Where the argument comes in...some Jewish people/communities (and I can see the same for other religions) may identify as Jewish seemingly making their race "Jewish". Like many who were born into Jewish families, but don't practice the faith still consider themselves Jewish. Maybe its like how we call all tissue paper Kleenex...its easier to explain that way, but doesn't mean it's actually Kleenex.
Not true at all, as a matter of fact the early church father Tertullian said the opposite - that the early church spread because of persecution and martyrdom.
As the famous quote said: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church"
You are misjudging the "Christian" (defensive) crusades against Islam. And to say that's how Christianity originally spread is ridiculous - but probably
en-vogue to say nowadays, with the drive-by ignorant masses.
hno:
