From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!esquire!cmcl2!philabs!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!iy47ab
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Re: Religous Matters
Article-I.D.: sdccsu3.262
Posted: Fri Jan 28 09:24:45 1983
Received: Mon Jan 31 08:32:40 1983
References: tekid.774


re: the comment that was made that to be Jewish, one must believe in God.

I am Jewish.  I also happen to be a deist.  But my religious education
(extensive) has always taught that one does not have to believe in God to
be a Jew.  Of course, this is a modernistic viewpoint and it is definitely
a conservative, not an orthodox viewpoint.  Outsiders should realize that
Judaism is not clearly defined.  Even when the rabbis make a legal decision
on some aspect of Jewish law, if it is NOT unanimous, BOTH sides are accepted
as religiously legal and binding; they are differentiated only by one being
the 'majority' decision and one the 'minority'.  You pick the one you 
agree with...

Lady Arwen of U.C. San Diego