Separating the Ethnic Identities from the God, Faith, and Powers that Made Them

    I have heard mention in passing or more directly of ethnic groups lately. Plus, there is the more formal reads, like in books, articles, and work-related efforts. Reading and analysis required. Jewish folks, for example. Or Muslims, or Palestinians. Mormons, erstwhile members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other Christians, both Jesuits and Catholics, and other Evangelical types. Members of indigenous groups, like Muskogee or Arikara or Cherokee. Then there are the thoughts and cases of Buddhists and Hindus. All of us. Some are demonstrably and dedicated atheists or seculars. Fine. 

    

    Perhaps some of the above are not ethnic groups at all, such as Somalis, or Hungarians, or Burmese of their fashion, or all the other ethnic groups that many do not question as an ethnic class or identity.

    I have had arguments or debates that Latter-Day Saints are not an ethnicity, or separate ethnic group. Fine, that may serve as a physical way of defining or not a people, but religiously and lifestyle certainly make Mormons, aka Church of Jesus Christ participants, a distinct, separate group of folks.

    There are those that are ethnically Jewish, but no longer believe in the Jewish God, Yahweh. Or maybe they maintain a belief in the Supreme Lord of the Universe, but they do not practice the faith outwardly or as a community. How Jewish does that ethnic Jew remain? He or she possess the features and characteristics outwardly, and even inwardly, but the essence of the group has more or less been stripped away. 

    A Latter-day Saint, (arguably not part of an ethnic group), who does not practice or believe in their faith is considered often non- or in-active LDS/Mormon, but are they really a member of that faith if they have either renounced or by some type of laze or indifference given up their former identity?

    An Egyptian Christian, a Coptic, is of that ethnic group. But when they stop believing or being involved in the Egyptian Christian community, are they really part of the true ethnicity? 

    I would argue no. A Jewish person divorced of their belief, their practices and ways, their community and faith system, is no longer truly Jewish. They are apart, they are other. They have the birthright and the genealogy, but they themselves by choice and lifestyle are no longer Jewish. Same for Catholic, same for Buddhist, same for Hindu, or Sikh or Zoroastrian. You are what you both preach and live.

    Black people, white people, Asians of all varieties, and native Americans and others, may not have a built-in faith system or God that they inherently are born into. An Igbo of Nigeria or a Hausa person from the same may. A mountain hillbilly of West Virginia may or may not have a greater God or faith system that he or she is born into. So, divesting themself of a higher (in this case figurative) power or God or system may not affect their ethnic or demographic identity.

    But, I would argue that those who do drop or leave behind their "higher" faith systems and practices or communities are in fact leaving behind their ethnicity in many ways. There are the millions of lapsed Catholics, non-believing Jews, inactive or ex-Mormons, etcetera. They are still their racial or otherwise external ethnic qualities and characteristics that define, them, always. Hard to be divested of all it, especially genetically and externally.

    What I am arguing and positing is that we by choice and practice divorce ourselves from our higher powers, and therefore true Jews are not really Jewish, nor are Muslims truly that, or Hindus or Buddhists or pagans, on down the line.

    There must be a pundit square Venn diagram that can capture a person correctly, accurately, that admittedly can change from day to day, week to week, year to year.

    Some things to think about, yes? Who are we? Do we change over time? I say that we do. And some of us are more divorced from our truer selves than others.

    Who and what are you today? How Jewish are you? Buddhist? Christian? Atheist? White? Black? Latino? Inuit? How much of you is really what you purport to be?

    "I am just me", say many.

    "I am spiritual but not religious", say some.

    "I am Black and I am proud", say others. 

    Fine. Tell me who and what else you are, based on what you have faith in and how you act and behave.

    What is your true ethnicity?

    Are you a mixed person? Likely. Some ancient Chinese were Confucion at work and Daoist at home.

    We are all mixes and amalgams of whatever we are.

    After all, I am Tiger Woods. Right? In the golfer's case, he needs to get in touch with his higher power. Best of luck and blessings, sir. May you reach the nirvana that we are all seeking.

    Reconciliation, success, and eternal joy.