Is it OK to follow some Jewish customs without being Jewish or having any intent to convert to Judaism?
by 
Sharkeye Jones
ANSWERS: 4
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who is to decide? I'll say do whatever you want - personally I would, if offered the opportunity, like to try to live like nun and I'm not a Christian.
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What an interesting question! I don't think there is a simple yes/no answer here. Certain Jewish customs are good for anyone (eg. 10% to charity, laws of honouring parents etc.) others are designed specifically to show Jewish identity (e.g. men donning "Tefillin", Shabbat observance, kosher dietary laws etc.). I don't think it's a wise move to adopt those customs that are designed to show Jewish identity is you're not Jewish. Every human being has a unique identity that they inherit from their respective families and/ or communities. I think you should follow the customs that preserve the uniqueness of YOUR identity rather than copy someone else's.
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You are always free to do as you wish as long as you live in a free society. That being said, you should always look at what best represents your true feelings. And there are plenty of lessons that you can take from Jewish law that certainly should be adopted by most people in Western society. For example, the ten commandments and the belief in loving your neighbour as you love yourself. These are the teachings of morality. There is no harm to be hand from following a Kosher diet, for example. Kosher chickens don't have to be brined and certainly the meat is healthier when killed since it's against Jewish law to kill a sick animal for food. There is no real harm from not mixing meat and milk together. And certainly no harm in holding the Sabbath as a total day of rest. I agree that it might be odd to try to don teffilim, but I certainly can't see it as being harmful. Wearing a kippah if you aren't in a Jewish sanctuary might be seen as odd, but you can easily wear a hat instead if you don't want someone wondering about it. And certainly any prayer you do is good, be it in English, Hebrew or even Klingon.
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Why not. Some of the customs are common sense.
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