How Did The Concept Of Secularism Alter Judaism?

Secularism created what one might call "cultural Judaism" or "Humanistic Judaism." This simply means that there are many people of Jewish background who are proud of their heritage and wish to maintain Jewish traditions and practices, without necessarily believing in God or accepting all the religious teachings of Judaism. Most people who identify themselves with this strand of Judaism have a strong, intellectual interest in the history of the Jewish people and they are often active in, or advocates of, human rights, the protection of minorities and progressive, liberal politics in general. The history of persecution of the Jewish Diaspora and their precarious position as a religious and (according to some) an ethnic minority in Europe, is often cited as a motivation for humanistic, secular Jews to pursue liberal, inclusive policies in the contemporary world.

Although it is difficult to point to a specific date when examining the rise of secular Judaism, the late 19th century is probably when secularism became increasingly prevalent amongst Europe's Jews. One of the founders of humanist  Judaism was Simon Dubnov, a Jewish writer from Belarus.

Secularism has allowed many non-religious Jews to maintain an interest in their Jewish heritage, culture and history, by creating an essentially agnostic, alternative Jewish identity based on common humanist values and an understanding of a shared past. It also raises the question of whether the Jewish people form a religious, or an ethno-cultural community, or perhaps both.

Judaism is one of the world's oldest religions and believes in one God. The people who follow this religion were called Hebrews and later on referred to as Jews. According to their religious scriptures, the Talmud and Torah, it is based on God's covenant with Abraham and later on with Moses. This religion is basis for other religions such as Christianity, Islam and Samaritinism.

There are various diversions within the Jewish religion and are called as movements. The effect of Secularism on Judaism is that those who follow it believe in Judaism without the supernatural and mythical element. The effect of secularism is that people don't want to follow a congregational mentality. It is promoting modern attitudes opposed to the traditional views.

The younger generation of Secular Jews has relaxed attitudes towards time management, pop music and use of alcohol compared to the Orthodox Jews. They are more leisure oriented and their general motto in life is "work to live" not "live to work."

The people who follow Secular Judaism want to remain Jewish but without the religious beliefs. They believe more in the Jewish history, values, ethics, language and culture rather than the supernatural part of it.