Argument from Christianity against circumcision, could a knowing Bible scholar explain/reference?

[Guest Gee]

Hi guys, I'm not very knowledgeable of Christianity but I saw this post and would like to know more about the argument in the first comment.

 

Could a knowledgeable Christian / Bible scholar expand upon the argument? I think it could be effective for anti-circumcision in the US (I have not heard this argument as of yet).

 

(Argument is in the first comment)

 

 

Thanks.

 

(The reason I think it would be effective is the story of Stefan talking to an Christian mother about yelling/spanking a child an he referenced 'that which you do to the least among you, you do unto me' I know that isn't the correct quote, but you know the one I mean, right? Well that reached the Christian mother, so this could (if well referenced and argued) do the same, right?)

[dsayers]

Interesting read. We don't need the New Testament to spot the hypocrisy and irrationality though. God is supposedly all knowing and all powerful, he makes Adam and Eve knowing they will eat of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge (which he also created), then punishes them for doing what he knew they would do and had the power to prevent. It's sadistic.

 

As an aside at this point, I wanted to share how Stef once pointed out something I hadn't considered before: What knowledge of his perfect creation could possible be so awful as to punish mankind for millenia? It reveals that if the story were true, God would be the villain of the piece.

 

Anyways, from there he holds all of mankind responsible for what he created and had the power to stop. Apparently including mutilating infant boys. Which again, if he didn't want them to have foreskin, he could just make it so. Then he sends his son to be sacrificed, to offset original sin. Again, something he could've done at any point and was his responsibility anyways.

 

It's sad that on the cusp of 2017, there are still people that believe this and believe it is of a deity worthy of praise. This doesn't even pass for good storytelling.

[Dylan Lawrence Moore]

I think that's an excellent argument to make to Christians about circumcision. It's a powerful irrational argument for disabling an irrational argument.

[rosencrantz]

The post is wrong. There is no original sin in the Hebrew Bible. Sin doesn't procreate, it is individual. At most, its effects can be seen for two to three generations. Circumcision and the rest of the rituals are a sign for the covenant between god and the Israelites. If those are broken, it's a  sin that will be punished.
There was a council of the Apostles in 49 where the question was discussed if Christians should still keep the Jewish laws, namely circumcision and special diets. In Acts 15 we are told that only Jewish Christians are bound to the Jewish laws, while the rest is free of them.
This is in line with God's commandments after the flood where we are told that the only thing non-Jewish people need to observe to be saved is a) not to kill and b) not to eat blood.

[Tyler H]

I was raised Christian -church twice a week / private Christian school from the age of 7-14 / missions trips / the whole 9 - and from my experience of what christians say they believe this should be a helpful tool to convince them not to circumcise if they do it for religious reasons. That being said I'm not sure how many of them are doing it because they think they are supposed to via religious fiat or if they just use that as an excuse to harm their children. You'd think the risk of organ loss and even death would dissuade them but it still happens in ridiculous numbers. I have to believe it is a lack of pertinent information and surplus of obfuscation that perpetuates this horror.

 

Perhaps starting a group that satirically supports female genital mutilation in order to garner mainstream media attention could get the information out?

[Guest Gee]

The post is wrong. There is no original sin in the Hebrew Bible. Sin doesn't procreate, it is individual. At most, its effects can be seen for two to three generations. Circumcision and the rest of the rituals are a sign for the covenant between god and the Israelites. If those are broken, it's a  sin that will be punished.

There was a council of the Apostles in 49 where the question was discussed if Christians should still keep the Jewish laws, namely circumcision and special diets. In Acts 15 we are told that only Jewish Christians are bound to the Jewish laws, while the rest is free of them.

This is in line with God's commandments after the flood where we are told that the only thing non-Jewish people need to observe to be saved is a) not to kill and b) not to eat blood.

 

Than you, rosencratz.