Is This Racism Bigotry Or What?

[jomifl]

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26067980

[woofgang]

Well its not racism, because its religion, not race based. Its also not uncommon. many religions are unhappy with mixed religion marriages. There was a program on TV last year about the Jewish religion and I remember one episode was a Rabbi organising a social event at a college with the main aim of getting Jews to meet Jews and promote relationships and therefore marriage within the faith. The actual article you posted the ink to is clear that this is an issue mainly for Orthodox Jews and that for the majority of Jews who don't consider themselves Orthodox, there is no issue. Its a bit sad though.

[kvalidir]

Do you mean is the article bigoted or the viewpoint of the Jewish community?
Jews are not by nature evangelical, my mother is Jewish and all of her family would view marrying a non Jew poorly ( except her own mother who doesn't give a hoot). Most Jewish families will tolerate it but not like it, the ultra orthadox certainly don't tolerate it and ostracise transgressors. It's therefore not a bigoted article, it's simply factual. Are Jews bigoted in their dislike of 'marrying out'? In general terms yes they are, imho we are all equal regardless of religious preference, but Jews think they are special, chosen and therefore have something at stake in diluting that, so for the religious it simply makes sense. Sadly it's just how it is.

[boxtops]

The preference is not exclusive to Jews, either - many Muslims of my acquintance wouldn't have considered marrying outside the faith. I'm sure it must apply to other religions too.

[jomifl]

The problem with the Jewish view is that the orthodox Jews at least believe they are a 'race' so there does seem to be an element of racism in their thinking. The irony is that there really is no demonstrable difference between Jews and any other humans so all this angst seems to be based on bigotry, not biology.

[FrogNog]

The Catholic church never viewed my parents marriage as valid because my Mum is CofE so it's not exclusive to Jews

[Baldric]

Don't see it as Racism, just another Religion doing what Religions do best, causing trouble!

[Zacs-Master]

Jom, unfortunately in the mind of those of a religious persuasion, demonstrable differences are trumped by faith.

[Khandro]

There was a very funny, clever, Radio 4 play a few years ago called "Oy Vay Maria", where, to appease the groom's family, a Catholic girl converts to Judaism, and becomes not only more Jewish than her husband, but more Jewish than the Rabbi.

[Khandro]

^^I just checked and it was actually a 1977 TV 'Play for Today' not R.4.
Well, it was along time ago. :0)

[DTCwordfan]

The onus is more on the woman as the Jewish line is carried through the female and not the man.

[Old_Geezer]

I confess to not knowing a great deal regarding the subject but it has always seemed to be that the stumbling block is that Jews are not simply a religious group, that they consider Judaism (?) passed through the female line and the group description is therefore more than just encompassing a set of beliefs. It makes things difficult, such as the horror of members not staying pure and choosing to marry outside the group.

Hopefully things will change with time but at present there must be the fear that the group will cease to exist if the attrition of folk marrying outside the group and thus no longer part of it, continues. If they could redefine what it means to be a Jew it might help somewhat.

For sure other religions may have a flavour of the same disapproval of marrying someone 'not their kind', but the risk of losing the offspring to the religion is a lesser concern I think, when recruiting others into the group is easier.

[DTCwordfan]

It's more a concern over here than in the USA - in part, because the 'reformed' Jews make up a very high percentage of the the Jewish population. They are far more relaxed on the strictures of the faith, including their girls marrying we Gentiles, as I am more than aware!

[lightbulb247]

If this was to do with Islam we would see it being reported everywhere and on every newspaper and being yelled by every critic of Islam.

[Obiter]

If I remember correctly mixed marriages were viewed as valid by the RC church, provided it was an RC ceremony and the non-RC partner promised to bring up any children as RCs.

[mikey4444]

I have never agreed with the term Jewish Nation. If there is a Jewish Nation, then there must be a Catholic Nation, perhaps with its capital in Dublin.

What these Jews seem to be afraid of is the watering down of their faith. Well, perhaps they should get used to it. Religions have been dispersed for 1000's of years. The Jews have Israel, which no other religion has, so maybe they should stop moaning and start talking about something else for a change !

[naomi24]

It's the reason the Jews have survived as a group. The majority of Jewish families do not condone marriage to people of other religions.