Circumcision - Is It Barbaric?

[Brian E]

I accidentally ended up on a Web site discussing circumcision (mostly, but not entirely with reference to males) and the descriptions given were one of an outdated and barbaric practice that mutilates and causes great pain to defenceless babies. Certainly, anyone reading the descriptions given would most likely come to the same conclusion I would have thought.

Now of course, I am aware that God commanded Abram and others to be circumcised as part of the new covenant, but this begs the question as to why God would initiate such a practice. There must be something I am missing here and I am hoping that someone more learned than myself can enlighten me.

I have quite a few other difficult questions to pose later on, one of which is very relevant at the present time with the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, but I'll save those for a few days. We were told to always be ready to give a defence for our faith and it's good to have somewhere like this to discuss difficult issues so that we can be ready when the attacks from atheists hit us (judging by some of the language used on their forums these days, they seem to be particularly angry about religion in general and the Christian God in particular).

 

[evanom]

There's no scientific, hygenic, moral, practical or otherwise reason mentioned in the Bible for this practice. It's simply for a sign, like getting a tattoo or something. It comunicates that this person entered into and accepted an agreement between himself and God. That's basically it. However, there might be some symbolic meaning in this covenant due to the shedding of blood. Perhaps you could do a study from that perspective.

It's not barbaric. Painful yes, barbaric no. People will label anything barbaric these days; anything from going fishing to spanking a toddler can and is seen as barbaric in an ever increasingly overly politically correct world. And when it comes to the Bible, just about everything is barbaric in the secular mindset.

So next time an atheist "tempts" you with the circumcision debate, just simply answer him "it was done for the sole purpose of being a sign onto God's people", then sit back and watch him go into a 15 minute rant about how barbaric the God of the bible is. Dont waste time on such debates. Jesus never sent his disciples to go and debate the world. REmember, praying is a LOT more effective.

 

[Brian E]

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I think my major concern with this is that it is done to infants who have no say in the matter. Adults can obviously make their own minds up, but apart from the pain and terror unleashed on an unsuspecting baby, it has life-long consequences for the individual. I think your analogy with a tattoo is quite a good one. I would not allow my children to have tattoos until they have grown up and can fully appreciate the consequences. I'm not sure, but I think tattoos may even be illegal for children under a certain age here in the UK. You're right about atheists' views about God - I saw a video a few days ago where an atheist was mockingly totalling up all the people God is said to have destroyed during Old Testament times. Meanwhile, Richard Dawkins and the likes take great satisfaction in their descriptions of the Creator of the universe. I wonder what they will say when they come face to face with Him on judgement day?

 

[evanom]

Top atheists like Dawkins are quite slick with their arguments. 10 minutes listening to them without any background on Bible, mythology, ancient middle east cultures, etc. can really mess with your head since they have a certain ability to take a weak argument and express it in such an articulate and intelligent manner (plus a british accent that automatically adds a splash of intellect) that you can be convinced very easily.

I myself have a habit of listening to atheist like Dawkins to study their mindsets and learn about their perspectives on things (getting to know the enemy! hehe). This with the purpose of always knowing their arguments and knowing how to respond adequatly. Two of their most aggresive arguments are: 1) God endorses genocide and 2) God/Jesus/Bible are all mythology that have been around the middle east for centuries before scripture was even begun. If these topics bother you in anyway, shape or form, then i suggest doing a study on them ASAP and grasping as firm an understanding on them as God will enlighten you with. Otherwise, it could be a weak spot onto you and Satan will definitly take note.

On the other hand, there are very articulate and intelligent apologist who are fascinating to listen to. Some of my favorites are Dr. Michael Brown, pastor Mark Biltz, Ravi Zacharias among others. Check them out on youtube, etc. Real good stuff.

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

Life long consequences,,,,,

I thought about that while I was watching my son being circumsized shortly after he was born. I thought about my own anger issues, and how men seem genuinely more angry than women, etc, etc. Consequently, many cultures were violent, and vengefull, and angry and hateful, and cruel and murderous. If history shows anything it's not the ones who were circumsized who caused all the destruction. (Although, some may argue about that, which is a whole other conversation.)

So, Seeing that my son is a well rounded little man, and I view myself as somewhat well rounded,,, I harbor no anger or resentment that I was circumsized and I have never met anyone who is. Although I have seen a show on TV where people were "uncircumsizing" themselves. Come to think of it, I don't even remember the event, and I'm certain my son doesn't either.

After a little thinking, I realized that my son wasn't traumatized by this anymore than he was traumatized by leaving the warm comforts of his mothers womb. Not even to mention the fact that the whole area was numbed beforehand.

In the past, yep,, pretty brutal. In the now, meh.

I guess it's all relative. To many, it's wrong to spank a child yet partial birth abortions are A-Okay. Aboslutely appauled to see a child spanked during a debate about the benifits of abortion for mothers. Go figure.