Quote:
Originally Posted by levite
We don't need to weaken Jewish identity further right now. And if you want to say to me that the Reform movement doesn't see patrilineal descent as weaking, that may be the prerogative of the Reform movement, in theory, but unlike Reform views on prayer or kashrut, which can be ameliorated vis-a-vis their impact on the rest of the people, this has a terrible effect on the rest of the Jewish people.
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I don't want to threadjack "Ask a jew" into "Theological and sectarian discussions between Jews," and I certainly don't relish the idea of doing so with a soon-to-be-rabbi. Although the Reform movement has made the move towards accepting patrilineal descent, the point I tried to convey in my post is that it wasn't an easy choice. I remember from even when I was a kid that this topic - assimilation, etc. - was debated and argued and treated with utmost importance. Internally, from within the Reform movement, is was (and remains) a contentious issue. If some of your dire predictions about future consequences come to pass, I would not be surprised to see the issue flare up again and be revisited in some way.