The Karaite sect was established at about the same time that Islam was spreading throughout the Mideast. The founder of the sect, Hanan, was angry that he was not elected Resh Gelutha (Leader of the Exile Community), so he rejected all of rabbinic law and went off and founded his own schismatic sect. He followed the doctrine of the Sadducees, although the Sadducee sect became extinct after the Roman destruction of Judea.
The Karaites split off from the main faith of Judaism just as Christianity did. They are not any more Jewish than Seventh Day Adventists.
Your historical splitting of Karaite hairs may be true, but just remember...
We are all god's children !
"the Sadducee sect became extinct after the Roman destruction of Judea"
True. But did the Pharisees recognize them as fellow Jews at the time? They had sharp disagreement, but I've never read that one was rejected by the other as being Jewish.
I wouldn't go that far. I'd say the difference between Karaites and the rest of Jews is about that between Catholics and the various Protestant churches. A significantly different take on Judaism, but still Jewish.
The Karaites split off from the main faith of Judaism just as Christianity did. They are not any more Jewish than Seventh Day Adventists.
1. Do you consider Conservative/Masorti and Reform/Liberal Rabbinates to be Jewish?
2. Wouldn't the Samaritans/Shomronim, who are clearly not Jewish, be a better example? They broke with Judaism, as opposed to Christian sects, that broke from other Christian sects.