Q&A: Nation or Religion
Nation or Religion
Question
As I understand it, the main difference between the various sectors is how they view Judaism: whether it is a nation or a religion. The Haredim see it as a religion, the secular see it as a nation, and the Religious Zionists see it as both—meaning a religious nation; that is, the nation is the body and the religion is the soul, in other words, a nation founded on religion. So I would be glad if: a) the Rabbi would say whether he agrees with my distinction; b) I would be happy if the Rabbi would share with us how he sees Judaism.
Answer
In my opinion, the question is not well defined. Judaism is both a religion and a nation. Anyone who disputes that is disputing reality. As far as I know, none of the three groups disagrees with this. The question of whether there is such a thing as a definition of secular Judaism is a different question. It has a cultural and ethnic definition, but not a value-based one (there are no secular Jewish values).