Judaism Response Paper #1

When I first think of Judaism I think of it as a religion, but when I think of all the different aspects that go into following that religion it becomes hard to decipher which one it most identifies with and it starts to morph itself into a culture and a race. Judaism is first and foremost a religion. Although one is said to be Jewish if their mother is in fact Jewish, I don’t believe that this is enough background to make it a race because it is limiting. When one thinks of the religious aspect of Judaism they understand that there are rituals that are followed annually that helps those follow their faith, making it most evidently a religion. Although some may choose to be more “laid back” with their practices, they still have Judaism as a guide when they need it; this is where it starts to form itself into a culture.
Everyone that practices Judaism follows it in a different way and may in fact pick and choose what aspects of that religion they as an individual focus on and this is what helps mold it into a culture. Everyone practices Judaism a different way whether they are stricter with their rituals and religious holidays or if they are secular and still observe holidays but are not as connected with the everyday part of their religion. This is why I personally classify it as a culture because it is not a uniform religion; everyone interprets it in different ways making it unique to the individual.