Alternative Judaism
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Alternative Judaism refers to a variety of groups whose members, while identifying as Jews in some fashion, nevertheless do not practice Judaism as most other Jews.
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Variety
Generally, beliefs of these groups are not compatible with mainstream Judaism. Instead, their beliefs fall outside of the traditional views of the Torah and Jewish law. These movements may be explicitly atheistic, or they may incorporate certain elements foreign to Judaism, such as pagan or other religious traditions. Mainstream Jewish movements often criticize alternative groups as “not being Jewish”, as alternative groups often follow ideas that fall outside two important parameters historically apparent in Jewish theology: the oneness of God and God’s non-corporeal nature. <ref>"For most American Jews, it is acceptable to blend some degree of foreign spiritual elements with Judaism. The one exception is Christianity, which is perceived to be incompatible with any form of Jewishness. Jews for Jesus and other Messianic Jewish groups are thus seen as antithetical to Judaism and are completely rejected by the majority of Jews". (Kaplan, Dana Evan. The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism, Cambridge University Press, Aug 15, 2005, p. 9).</ref>
History
Alternative forms of Judaism are nothing new in Jewish history, and have appeared in the past in such forms as the Sabbateans and Frankists which fell outside the common Orthodox and Non-Orthodox (Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist) classification of the four major streams of today's Jewish denominations. These may be combinations of secular Jewish culture and Jewish symbolism with non-Jewish religions and philosophies.
Alternative movements within Judaism
Modern alternative movements that have emerged from within traditional Judaism:
- Humanistic Judaism, an organized group that takes a non-theistic or agnostic approach to Judaism and which has around 50,000 members worldwide in over 60 congregations. It is cultural and human-centered, rather than spiritual.
- Jewish Renewal, an organized spiritualist approach to Judaism, loosely based on Kabbalah and New Age principles, with around 50 congregations worldwide.
Alternative movements outside Judaism
Movements with origins outside of traditional Judaism:
- Judeo-Paganism, a loosely-organized groups or individuals who practice pagan or Wiccan beliefs.
- Jewish Buddhists, another loosely organized group that incorporates elements of Asian spirituality in their faith.
- A number of non-Jewish movements consider themselves to be "Israelites" due to a purported connection to the Lost Ten Tribes, such as the Anglo-Israelism movement. These groups are not generally made up of Jews, and, in some cases deny that the Jewish people are related to the ancient Israelites. See also Supersessionism.
- The Messianic Judaism movement, Hebrew Christians, Jews for Jesus and other groups that accept that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, are not considered a part of Judaism by all major Jewish denominations, <ref>
Jewish denominations and groups:
- From a statement that has been endorsed by the four major Jewish denominations: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist as well as national Jewish organizations: "Though Hebrew Christianity claims to be a form of Judaism, it is not. It is nothing more than a disguised effort to missionize Jews and convert them to Christianity. It deceptively uses the sacred symbols of Jewish observance ... as a cover to convert Jews to Christianity, a belief system antithetical to Judaism. ... Hebrew Christianity is not a form of Judaism and its members, even if they are of Jewish birth, cannot be considered members of the Jewish community. Hebrew Christians are in radical conflict with the communal interests and the destiny of the Jewish people. They have crossed an unbreachable chasm by accepting another religion. Despite this separation, they continue to attempt to convert their former coreligionists." Schiffman, Lawrence H. (1993). Meeting the Challenge: Hebrew Christians and the Jewish Community (PDF). Task Force on Missionaries and Cults of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
- "... Messianic Judaism ... is a movement of people often of Jewish background who have come to believe Jesus is the expected Jewish messiah... They often have congregations independent of other churches and specifically target Jews for conversion to their form of Christianity." (Harries, Richard. After the Evil: Christianity and Judaism in the Shadow of the Holocaust, Oxford University Press, Aug 2003, p. 119.)
</ref> as well as national Jewish organizations, the State of Israel <ref name=ADL_LC>Legal Cases Involving Jews for Jesus (ADL) </ref> and by others. <ref>Other organizations:
- "Messianic Jewish organizations ... often refer to their faith as fulfilled Judaism, in that they believe Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies. Although Messianic Judaism claims to be Jewish, and many adherents observe Jewish holidays, most Jews regard Messianic Judaism as deceptive at best, fraudulent at worst. They charge that Messianic Judaism is actually Christianity presenting itself as Judaism." (Balmer, Randall. Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism, Baylor University Press, Nov 2004, p. 448).
- "A note about Jews for Jesus, Messianic Jews, Hebrew Christians, and similar groups: Jews in these groups who have converted to Christianity but continue to observe various Jewish practices are no longer considered part of the Jewish community in the usual sense." (Benjamin Hubbard, John Hatfield, James Santucci (1997). America's Religions. An Educator's Guide to Beliefs and Practices. Teacher Ideas Press, a Division of Libraries Unlimited, p.100. ISBN 1-56308-469-4.)
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