So, nu, who's a Jew ? (part 4)

C. When is a Jew not a Jew?

The best test you can have of your 'jewishness' is to see if the State of Israel would grant you citizenship.

In 1948 the Knesset, the parliament of Israel, formulated the 'Law of Return'. This states that any Jew can receive Israeli citizenship the moment he or she sets foot on Israeli soil. It doesn't matter if you do or don't believe in God or the Bible, or whether you're a communist, an astrologer, or even a convert to Hinduism - as long as you've got the papers to prove you're a Jew, you're welcome.

There is only one group of people who are definitely not welcome and they are Jewish Christians, or Messianic Jews.

I'm not banging a drum here, I'm only stating facts. It's OK if you have no belief in God, or believe that God is another name for Nature or even believe that God has three heads and a tail! All of these are acceptable, Israel will welcome you with open arms. But if you believe that the Jewish Messiah has come and his name was Jesus Christ (actually Yeshua Ha Mashiach was his proper Jewish name), then, in the eyes of the Jewish establishment you have 'lost your jewishness'. You have become the enemy, or, in the eyes of the orthodox, you've died and, if you come from an orthodox family, a funeral will be conducted for you!

These are strong reactions indeed. You can be a mass murderer or a compulsive adulterer, but you can still be Jewish and will be offered your very own place in the State of Israel - albeit in a maximum security prison. But in the eyes of a State that claims, as a whole, not to even be religious, your Jewishness can be stripped away like the skin off a banana, simply by believing in something they disagree with. Now take one step back and with a clear, rational mind just consider for a moment what you've just read.

Why should one's beliefs provoke such a reaction?

Is it rational, or is there something going on here that needs further investigation?