Shalom.
Today is Shlishli, Aviv 18. It is day.
I am of Israel. Judaism as a religion is not so important, if there has ever been anything wrong with Judaism. Like with Christianity when I was a Christian. I am a Jew. I have chosen the tribe of Levi. I am an Israelite. I have asked if Judaism is a religion or a faith. But where I am living I have made a comment about religion, to the effect that it is not important to me. Meaning, I am not religious. Some people want me to be religious. Others do not. It is what people say, and the things that I have said. But when a person decides to be religious or to be religious on their own terms they need to think about what they are doing and what stress or stresses and pressures they are placing others, or putting others, in or under. Freedom of religion and freedom of religious expression are different, in a Judeo-Christian nation such as the United States of America. The fact that Muslims were not allowed in the military and Muslims were in the military has been a stress upon my life as a Citizen of the United States of America not in the military. If I have freedom of religion as a Jew, then the Muslim wants freedom of religion too. To this is a Christian nation. I grew up Christian. I do not need to put people under religion. I am Jewish. I am a proselyte and a convert to Israel and Judaism. The people or nation or the people and nation of Israel and God's Commands or God's Commandments the Commandments of Torah and the New Covenant are more important than Judaism or whether or not Judaism is a religion. Is Judaism a faith? Some say so. But I still don't have an answer for what other people think beyond Judaism being a faith or a religion, though I have asked.
In the book of James we read that pure religion in the sight of our God and Father is to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. There is nothing wrong with this. This is pure religion. And religion is our practice, not our intellectual or emotional sensibilities.
We are in the Feast of Unleavened Bread. A person noticed me eating Matzah, and commented on either my religion or I think Judaism. Yes. But, that is not why I do what I do. It is because of God's Commandments as one of Israel. People get caught up in religion or it is an explanation for what a person does. Though I live my life different from other people and don't feel myself relegated to a religion, it is because of God that I do what I do not because I am religious.
Shalom.
Jacob