Sheitl,
You're statement is strange to me.
According to Orthodox, a person is Jewish if their mother is Jewish.
According to Reform, a person is Jewish if either their mother or father is Jewish.
I personally think a person is Jewish if their mother is Jewish, but truthfully, I won't argue with a Reform Jew that they aren't Jewish if only their Father is Jewish, they were raised in Judaism, thinking of themselves as Jewish. I accept them as Jewish.
Messianic Jews don't have any different definition of who is a Jew then the various stances within the Jewish community.
From what I have seen on this forum and others, Messianics tend to
disagree with the maternal definition of who is a Jew. Many will
accept any Jewish ancestry as proof that one is Jewish, no matter
how distant that ancestry may be. Others feel they are "grafted in"
and thereby Jewish. I have seen posts by some who "feel" (but
have no proof) that they are Jewish, have been told by G-d they
are Jewish, or "think" they may have some Jewish ancestry, and
therefore they are a Jew.
However, these tend to be the Messianic Gentiles who make such
claims. I agree with you that Messianics who are halachaly Jewish
do not accept these statements but tend to agree with the
maternal definition of who a Jew is.
That is why I always recommend someone clarify what definition
they accept as to who is a Jew; opinions vary....I think it important
that they know if a person claiming to be a Jew fits their definition,
whatever it may be....
