Judaism (response 1)

I'm going to say that Judaism is a little bit of all three. The term can be used to mean a religion, a culture, or a race, or any combination thereof, so it must be inferred from the context what someone means.Yes, it is a religion, and it is implied therefore that in order to be Jewish one must practice, or at least believe in the religious tenets of Judaism. However, in God's covenant with Abraham, He said "I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you." That was really long and redundant, but the point is clear: God's covenant is hereditary. Whether or not they believe it, according to this story, all the descendants of Isaac are JEWISH. Regardless of their beliefs, the people who are descended from Isaac are racially Jewish. I think Judaism is definitely a culture too, though not as easily defined. If someone chooses to identify as being Jewish because he was raised in a culturally Jewish household, that makes perfect sense to me. If someone is adopted into an Italian family, is he not culturally Italian? Jews have customs and traditions and language like any other ethnic group, so I don't see any reason why they should be considered different. Religion is implied but not necessary, as Hispanic families are often Catholic, and Afghan families are often Muslim. If you're bothered by the religious implications of the word "Jewish," then call them Israelites.