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To: kindred
Protestants (90 percent) are more likely than Roman Catholics (79 percent) and much more likely than Jews (48 percent) to believe in God.

100% of Protestants and Catholics believe in God. To not believe in God disqualifies you from be termed either. As being Jewish is a tribal as well as religious term, atheist Jews continue to call themselves and be called Jews.

The religious Jews I know tend conservative.

6 posted on 01/24/2006 5:05:16 AM PST by SampleMan
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To: SampleMan

Given recent history it's not hard to understand why many jewish people have decided there is no G-D.


7 posted on 01/24/2006 5:16:49 AM PST by OldFriend (The Dems enABLEd DANGER and 3,000 Americans died.)
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To: SampleMan; kindred; rmlew
I'd be cautious about surveys, since data for large samples of the population doesn't exist.

The largest survey of the "Jewish Population" is done once a decade by the UJC. They estimate about 5.2 million Jews, the oft used figure of about 2% to 2.2% of the population. For whatever reason, they overcount "Jews", though they contend they may undercount.

Their procedure in determining who is a Jew:

Ask
1. What is your (other adult's) religion, if any? (If not Jewish, then ask:)
2. Do you (Does other adult) have a Jewish mother or a Jewish father? (If no, then ask:)
3. Were you (Was other adult) raised Jewish?
4. (Ask all if not Jewish/Judaism in Q.1): Do you (Does other adult) consider yourself (him/herself) Jewish for any reason?

I understand about 1.3% of the sample answer Yes to question 1. That's probably the best measure, and clearly eliminates about 40% what is commonly counted as the "Jewish population"

To be considered a Jew

A-Whose religion is Jewish,
or B-Whose religion is Jewish and something else,
or C-Who has no religion and has at least one Jewish parent or a Jewish upbringing, or
D-Who has a non-monotheistic religion, and has at least one Jewish parent or a Jewish upbringing.

It's likely #1 and A consist largely of Jews. #2, B, C maybe, if the one parent is the mom. And those in B are apostate Jews, who'd identify as something else. That probably eliminates well more than half, and frankly it's foolish to extrapolate Jewish attitudes from someone who, when asked don't consider themselves Jewish or consider themselves, for example, Catholic. D, probably half apostates (Jewish Mom) and half (Jewish dad) non-Jewish. 4, I don't even know what that means, but there's no Jewish connection there at all.

Lot's and lots of non Jews falling in the "Jewish" camp.

The same survey, which I'd probably take over Harris, indicates a 27% monthly synagogue attendance rate, of a population which is likely 30% to 45% composed of non-Jews. I doubt you can draw any reliable conclusions.

24 posted on 01/24/2006 11:06:37 AM PST by SJackson (Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy. B. Franklin)
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To: SampleMan
The religious Jews I know tend conservative.

do you know if they still expect the Messiah to come? one Jewish gal i knew, and she was really into the religion, said most don't even expect the Messiah to come anymore... they do not believe it will happen... i was dumbfounded! how could she embrace this religion if she thought that?!.. according to her, it makes her feel good about herself...

30 posted on 01/24/2006 4:18:48 PM PST by latina4dubya
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