[SirLinksalot]

The following statement is a revelation :

"Any person in the world, no matter what race, ethnicity or religion his or her parents are, can become a member of the Jewish people through religious conversion."

If this is true, then it seems to me to be to the advantage of Jews to make proselytizing a habit if they want to increase their numbers ( unless of course, increasing their number isn't something they want to do ).

[philsfan24]

excellent topic by dennis. i look forward to him answering the questions hes posed in this article in the coming weeks. dennis is a great thorough, articulate, commentator. his article 2 weeks ago about jews who support the christian right was right on the money.

http://www.townhall.com/opinion/column/dennisprager/2005/12/20/179723.html

[OldFriend]

It is against orthodox judaism to seek converts.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I would think that those who are Jewish by conversion are always less than those who are born Jewish. I imagine they try to make it not so, but the reality is, you are never really Jewish if not born Jewish -- not in the fullest sense of the word.

But I'm not Jewish so maybe I'm wrong about that. As a Christian, I don't view a convert to Judaism the same at all. No offense -- they have every right to convert -- but it just isn't the same.

[EveningStar]

ping

[Alouette]

it seems to me to be to the advantage of Jews to make proselytizing a habit if they want to increase their numbers

There is only one reason for proselytizing, that is to bring another person closer to G-D. Since Jews believe that non-Jews can achieve salvation without conversion, we don't go out of our way to seek converts, but we do have a mission to set an example.

Proselytizing for converts in order to increase membership is basically selfish and ultimately doomed to failure. What good are 50 million more "Jews" who don't follow the Torah? We already have enough problems from people who were born Jewish not keeping the Torah!

There is one, true, guaranteed, method of increasing numbers. I know, I have made 9 Jews and they have made 14 more.

[cpprfld]

I am being serious about this question, but do Jews believe in animal sacrifice? You keep on reading about Jews in the old testament having to sacrifice animals for forgiveness, so I was wondering if this practice still continues. I suppose I could ask my future father-in-law who is Jewish, but the question might not go over so well.

[Zack Nguyen]

Love them or hate them, respect them or loathe them – and most people have at least one of these reactions – of all the world's groups, none receives as much attention, including hatred, as the Jews.

I don't know - conservative Christians are giving them a run for the money.