Re: If one does not follow tenets of Christianity or Islam, can they still claim to be of that faith?
Sure, why not?
Of course NOT!!! If one claims that s/he doesn't believe in the existence of God, if s/he further says that Jesus is not a historical character but rather a mythical, composite, folk-hero, then I don't think you'll find many Christian clerics or laypeople who'll consider him/her "Christian".... Contrariwise, most if not all people of Jewish ancestry (people whose parents/mothers are kosher Jews) will always be considered "Jewish" by rabbis, whatever their lifestyles, religious practices, etc.
To be sure, there's also a tendency by Christian clerics to encompass a larger flock and cast a wider net to "spellbind" non-believers and heathens but it's nothing more than "wishful blessing". They'll merely claim that everybody, every human being, whether he believes or not, is a "child of God", but then, unlike Jewish rabbis, they bestow it upon ALL human beings, including Jews....
Gus |
