This is an old question with me. I believe that you have on
one hand the ethnic Jew and on the other religious Jew which
in most cases are combined.
Cleo, there is no distinction. there is no such thing as a half Jew, an ethnic Jew, or whatever. Either you are Jewish, or you are not. The distinction between converts and born Jews at that at the Holy Temple, the converts could not go into the inner court. They were not chosen by G-d, but they were precious to G-d. Many Jews are atheists, but they are still Jews. I guarantee that whether they were atheists or not, they were still slaughtered in the Holocaust because of their birthright.
You are getting into details that I am not concerned about.
I am talking about the ethnic Jew as a race as opposed to
the religious Jew.
The ethnic Jew can be any religion that he/she wishes but
they are still a Jew.
The religious Jew can be of any ethnic group and convert to
being a Jew.
I know that there are various things that one group may or
may not do as far as religion is concerned. But my point is
in answer to the question is that a Jew can be either or both.
My problem was for years that a Jew was of a religion. However
somewhere back there in my head I also knew that it was also
ethnic.
These are two separate things operating under the same name
which has caused me so much confusion and it appears
confusion for many others.