Circumcision....Perfect Adam....Uncircumcised....1st century Christians...circumcision ont required

by blondie 37 Replies latest jw friends

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  blondie

  I know this has been discussed many times, but I was watching a news story about female genital mutilation (not female circumcision) and segued mentally into why the hassle about male babies having to be circumcised, Christians especially. Even the WTS flipflops on this.....

  If Adam, the first perfect man, not under the Jewish law code, was given a foreskin by god as an aspect of his physical perfection, why then do so many "Christian" people have their boy babies circumcised?

  If a health issue....Why did god create the perfect man, Adam, with a foreskin?

  Was it a health issue when Abraham and the men in his household were directed by god to be circumcised in an outward appearance of the covenant?

  Was it still a religious issue for 1st century Christians, was circumcision required of Gentile boy babies or even adult Gentile men who became Christians?

  Since culturally, many people keep their penis under wraps, who would see if a man had a foreskin or not, to be stumbled if they didn't?

  (of course, some will say it is all a story and save themselves the time and effort of thinking about it, but it wouldn't help the next person who has a sincere question)

  http://www.unfpa.org/resources/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-frequently-asked-questions
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  WingCommander

  They lived in the desert. Sand is irritating. Think about it.
  
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  blondie

  Sorry, no penis or foreskin here, WC.
  
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  Finkelstein

  Nothing more than tribal ritualism with the intent of distinguishing an individual as being identified of a certain tribe.
  
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  blondie

  True, Finkelstein, of FGM (not Islam/Muslim) too.

  But I doubt that would convince a Christian/Jew/or jw.
  
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  Finkelstein

  All these ancient Hebrew high priests had to say its instructed by god to do so and that pretty much all was required since the ancients were very fearful of the almighty agents in the sky.
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  blondie

  Yes, I agree, but that still won't convince a jw...nor a jew..
  
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  snowbird

  I am searching extra-Biblical writings to try to understand God's command that Abraham, his servants, and his descendants be circumcised.

  Sylvia
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  Ruby456

  Blonde in thinking about the 1st question u asked - I think that humans after Adam are making a sacrifice
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  Drearyweather

  Hi blondie, nice question, I can only think of the following points:

  Could it be that Adam's fall from perfection made circumcision a health issue for imperfect men? The Bible though does not directly comment on this.

  The Bible says that God made it as a sign or as a covenant with Abraham. Buy why Circumcision?

  In the Bible, being unircumcised was usually connected with impurity and being obstinate. Stephen told about it during his speech before the Sanhedrin about the covenant of circumcision and called those men as 'uncircumcised in heart'.

  During Joshua's time, when the new generation of Israelites were circumcised after crossing the Jordan, God told that he had thus rolled off the Egyptian reproach from them.

  Thus circumcision was considered a sign or a covenant of pure worship. However, this was a covenant between a person and God, and was not to be served as a visible sign for other people.

  Why did the Hebrews take it seriously as no one could see it and thus get stumbled? Most of the Israelites would have been aware of the case where Zipporah circumcised her son and saved him from God's fury as they neglected the command to circumcise their child. So yes, God directly intervened to punish if the circumcision law was not followed and Jehovah was known for being pretty strict with his rules.

  But then, in the first century this practice was discontinued as requirements for being God's people changed.