Why does God want my foreskin?

Originally posted by josephw
I'm laughing hysterically. I'm sure this must be the last stage. Is there no cure.

You know I have a sense of humor. I think I'll let it show more often.

But seriously, what I was saying makes perfect sense if you look at it from a biblical perspective. Either you believe it or not!

😀


I just noticed something else....!

"the inability to speak...."

Is this the whole talking in tongues thing?

Originally posted by scottishinnz
😀


I just noticed something else....!

"the inability to speak...."

Is this the whole talking in tongues thing?

Lets get back on topic and deal with my unholy foreskin.

Another question, if cutting off foreskin represents the seperation of sins from the flesh, wouldn't you want to do this at the end of life rather than the beginning? If sin concentrates in the penis, would you want to hack it off at the end? What do women have to cut off to remove sin from the flesh?

Originally posted by Hand of Hecate
Lets get back on topic and deal with my unholy foreskin.

Another question, if cutting off foreskin represents the seperation of sins from the flesh, wouldn't you want to do this at the end of life rather than the beginning? If sin concentrates in the penis, would you want to hack it off at the end? What do women have to cut off to remove sin from the flesh?

Women don't sin. That's why we don't have to have anything cut off. It was supposed to be a secret, but now that you brought it up ...

Don't tell anyone though, OK?

Originally posted by Hand of Hecate
Lets get back on topic and deal with my unholy foreskin.

Another question, if cutting off foreskin represents the seperation of sins from the flesh, wouldn't you want to do this at the end of life rather than the beginning? If sin concentrates in the penis, would you want to hack it off at the end? What do women have to cut off to remove sin from the flesh?

Sin is never going to be removed from the flesh. The circumcision that God performs is on the heart freeing the believer from accountability for sin. The effect is a regenerated soul and spirit. The believer is then able to know and understand God in a way that the unregenerate soul cannot.

Originally posted by Hand of Hecate
Okay? So you cut off the flesh to represent the removal of sins from the flesh? Still... the penis? Why not a fingernail or even my little toe? Does the ol' johnson really need to get wacked... er, cut off I mean?

Hmm.

To be honest, I doubt that the Bible actually answers this despite the attempts at deeply theological answers that have been made in this thread (um, fellow Christians - some of you are missing the actual question in your attempt to demonstrate your spiritual knowledge).

Off the top of my head I can think of a couple of possibilities.

- It had to be a special sign. Maybe all the easier options were already taken.

- Belonging to God's people was supposed to be a big commitment. If you're willing to go through with this, you're pretty committed!


Back when I was born there were all these theories about the medical benefits of circumcision, but it seems to have gone back out of fashion now.

Originally posted by orfeo
Hmm.

To be honest, I doubt that the Bible actually answers this despite the attempts at deeply theological answers that have been made in this thread (um, fellow Christians - some of you are missing the actual question in your attempt to demonstrate your spiritual knowledge).

Off the top of my head I can think of a couple of possibilities.

- It had to ...[text shortened]... bout the medical benefits of circumcision, but it seems to have gone back out of fashion now.

I think having medical benefits have something to do with it. After all, many of the commandments God gave the Israelites had medical benefits such as not drinking blood or avoiding the eating of fat from animals or dealing with dead bodies in a hygenic manner etc.

Originally posted by Hand of Hecate
Am I going to Hell for not being circumsized? Why was circumcision originally used to signify a covenant with God?

It's cold in heaven, so God is making a patchwork quilt.

Originally posted by orfeo
Hmm.

To be honest, I doubt that the Bible actually answers this despite the attempts at deeply theological answers that have been made in this thread (um, fellow Christians - some of you are missing the actual question in your attempt to demonstrate your spiritual knowledge).

Off the top of my head I can think of a couple of possibilities.

- It had to ...[text shortened]... bout the medical benefits of circumcision, but it seems to have gone back out of fashion now.

But circumcision is part of the Jewish religion - a group of people who did not embrace Christ and therefore will be going to hell. If I am circumcised, will I also go to hell?

Originally posted by buffalobill
But circumcision is part of the Jewish religion - a group of people who did not embrace Christ and therefore will be going to hell. If I am circumcised, will I also go to hell?

Okay, now you're just begging for the detailed theological explanation, aren't you?

The New Testament makes clear that whether or not a person is physically circumcised is neither here nor there. In Judaism, physical circumcision represented a covenant relationship with God. In Christianity, the convenant relationship with God is spiritual and the external sign isn't... well, significant.

Saying that Jews 'did not embrace Christ' is a bad generalisation anyway. The early Christians were Jews. The question of whether Christians needed to be circumcised came up later, when Christianity expanded and included people who weren't of Jewish background. Some of the Jewish Christians argued that the non-Jews needed to be circumcised as part of their conversion to Christianity. The ultimate conclusion was that this was wrong.

But, by the same token, neither was there some weird requirement for Jews who became Christians to get their foreskins sewn back on.

Originally posted by kirksey957
There was once a very old rabbi. Throughout his long career as a rabbi he had performed many circumcisions. When he began doing this he decided he would collect and keep the foreskins. His dresser drawer was full of them. So he decided to take them to the local tanner and have him make something out of them. The tanner said come back in two weeks an ...[text shortened]... w for it? The tanner said, "relax, just stroke and rub it and it will turn into a suitcase."

A young couple were chatting to the rabbi after he'd finished mutilating their infant son. "Rabbi," they said, "you seem to be doing quite well for yourself." It was true; the rabbi was well-dressed and his circumscimitar was sharp.

"Oh," replied the rabbi, "the pay isn't very good in this business, but I always keep the tip."

Can women get the non-physical type of circumcision?
Why were they excluded from the physical one?

Circumcision is fairly common in Africa. Did they learn it from the Jews or figure it out for themselves? Is it possible that they also have a covenant but either forgot to write it down or the book got lost?

Originally posted by Hand of Hecate
Okay? So you cut off the flesh to represent the removal of sins from the flesh? Still... the penis? Why not a fingernail or even my little toe? Does the ol' johnson really need to get wacked... er, cut off I mean?

More than likely because so many are lead by it verse the brain or the
heart they were given instead. 🙂
Kelly

Thing that galls me is making rituals that have medical reasons such as circumcisions and the bans on fish and milk together or beef and milk and such, that should never be part of a religion. That should be part of your everyday life taught by people who saw the corrolations centuries before Christ. There should be no connection with this stuff in any religion. It was included because they figured the people had to have it burned into their heads so used religion as the excuse to help pass along health tips.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Thing that galls me is making rituals that have medical reasons such as circumcisions and the bans on fish and milk together or beef and milk and such, that should never be part of a religion. That should be part of your everyday life taught by people who saw the corrolations centuries before Christ. There should be no connection with this stuff in any reli ...[text shortened]... o have it burned into their heads so used religion as the excuse to help pass along health tips.

I have been told by muslims that Islam is not just about belief in God but a complete guide to how you live your life including strict rules about health etc.
I see no reason why religions shouldn't encourage things that benefit the followers.
I do see a slight flaw when it comes to free will. How do you reconcile free will with commandments? Remember that many biblical crimes included enforcement by others so it was not a matter of choice.

The one issue I have with including some of these rules is that there is no real provision for time scale nor explanation of purpose, so if for example 2000 later the rule no longer serves a purpose, it is not discontinued as there is no way to determine from the text that it is no longer required. Of course most Christians claim that this was solved by Christ specifically stating that some of the rules were no longer required.
However muslims have no similar situation and must observe certain rules for all eternity whether or not they remain relevant.

Originally posted by orfeo
Okay, now you're just [b]begging for the detailed theological explanation, aren't you?

The New Testament makes clear that whether or not a person is physically circumcised is neither here nor there. In Judaism, physical circumcision represented a covenant relationship with God. In Christianity, the convenant relationship with God is spiritual and the ...[text shortened]... some weird requirement for Jews who became Christians to get their foreskins sewn back on.[/b]

"The New Testament makes clear that ..."
When will you realise that quoting outdated nonsense cuts no mustard with a modern audience?