Will you circumcise your sons?

cjandstuff · 2021-01-01T14:20:11+00:00

No. Circumcision is a Jewish and American thing. Why American? You can thank one of the Kellogg brothers for that. Yup, the Kellogg corn flakes guy.
Circumcision was pushed hard for "sanitation" but moreso to prevent masturbation. The dude was weird and had a lot of influence.
He was also an advocate for eugenics and female genital mutilation using acid.
A quick Google search as well as Wikipedia will offer up plenty of info on this nut.

dalkon · 2021-01-02T16:13:13+00:00

Christians who believe in circumcising their children don't realize they're following the commandment of the Pharisees, the nemeses of Christ (Acts 15:1-9). In his Epistles, Paul said circumcision was spiritually worthless (Galatians 5:2) and a mutilation (Philippians 3:2).

The story of Abraham and the covenant of genital cutting in Genesis 17 was only authored around 515 BC, when the priests came back from Babylon, which was more than 1,300 years after the events it described are supposed to have occurred (Glick, 2005). No one ever mentioned it in the preceding 1,300 years, which makes it obvious it never happened. The story was invented by the priests who returned from Babylon in order to secure their control over the people by making people identify with genital cutting. We can see this same cultural identity control mechanism at work in America.

The foreskin is a normal, sensitive, functional and desirable part of the penis. The human foreskin is not vestigial like circumcision activists have been saying since the 1890s. The idea that the foreskin is vestigial was invented by the circumcision activist Peter Remondino. The human foreskin evolved (or was created) to be more functional and sensitive than the prepuces of other animals (Cold and McGrath, 1999; Taves, 2002).

Paul was right. Circumcision is a form of mutilation.

See also:
Galatians 5:11-12
Galatians 6:13
I Corinthians 7:17
Titus 1:10-11

tanhan27 · 2021-01-01T22:26:43+00:00

I will let my sons decide for themselves when they are adults. I'm an adult and I wouldn't get circumcised even if you paid me $100K to do it. I don't know why any adult would

myburner777 · 2021-01-02T03:00:38+00:00

We did.

Geekamo1 · 2021-01-01T13:32:12+00:00

Paul makes it clear in the NT that literal circumcision does not affect salvation or sanctification in Christ. If it’s a cultural norm where you live, you should probably do it (Acts 16:3). Other than that it doesn’t matter spiritually. Research shows that it has many health benefits though. (Acts 15; Galatians 2:1–3; 5:1–11; 6:11–16; 1 Corinthians 7:17–20; Colossians 2:8–12; Philippians 3:1–3; and Romans 2:29). For the verses you mentioned, Paul is stating that you can’t trust in Christ alone for salvation and also be circumcised as a possible prerequisite for salvation. The context in Galatians is important when reading it and too long for me to type.

Datanami · 2021-01-01T14:35:54+00:00

I never understood why Americans kept circumcising babies. That's ridiculous to me

peter-limburg · 2021-01-01T21:34:54+00:00

No cuz you shouldn’t mess with a baby’s penis before they know what it is (or at all.) plus I’m not Jewish and it’s a jew thing

Tone5377 · 2021-01-02T04:41:46+00:00

I was, but my son is not as I am not Jewish.

Russtafarian88 · 2021-01-01T13:36:54+00:00

I’m leaving that up to him. I did not do it when he was small because the country where we lived ( Brazil ) greatly discouraged it

oceangross · 2021-01-01T18:25:22+00:00

Numero34 · 2021-01-01T14:00:52+00:00

rocknrollchuck · 2021-01-01T15:07:34+00:00

Here's an in depth perspective on circumcision that addresses the issue as it pertains to Christians.

Fngrlnglnggd · 2021-01-01T22:11:36+00:00

Both circumcision and the offering of animals are Old Testament rituals that displayed the shedding of blood and the sacrifice of something valuable. The cross fulfills and ends them both! Don’t circumcise. It’s NOT your penis and it’s mutilation. Plain and simple

heterodoxright · 2021-01-10T23:39:38+00:00

No. It diminishes sexual pleasure. And it’s not necessary. “Cleanliness blah blah.” What you don’t know how to shower properly? Give me a break!

MultipleColoredChloe · 2021-01-01T20:06:57+00:00

My husband and I have decided to not circumcise our children. Circumcision of the heart is perfectly acceptable. If our sons want to be circumcised as adults to prove their devotion, they are obviously welcome to get the procedure done themselves.

My husband is circumcised and says he feels as though something has been taken from him without his permission. His parents are good people, but aren't very concerned with Christianity or salvation, they just did it because it was the normal American thing to do.

LouiseConnor · 2021-01-01T23:27:57+00:00

Of my sons that are, I can say beyond the shadow of a doubt for anyone wanting it done that avoiding the clamp at all costs is nice.

A better method is the Plasti-bell. It takes off less skin, does not leave any open wound, quicker, less chance of it being crooked, you can hold the baby in your arms while it’s done.

The last thing a mother needs having just given birth - exhausted, in pain, bleeding - is a baby with an open wound in a diaper to deal with. This is honestly my main reason for petitioning my husband to say no to the rest of them.

mumsheila · 2021-01-01T15:20:52+00:00

It's genital mutilation , and I'm PISSED. My parents did it without asking.

DarthCallidous · 2021-01-01T13:41:25+00:00

Probably not, no.

DeChef2 · 2021-01-01T19:42:09+00:00

People seem to go back and forth whether it is medically better to be circumcised or not, so it looks like it doesn't matter too much either way from that standpoint.

From a purely practical standpoint, peeing is a whole lot easier circumcised.

From a theological standpoint, it doesn't matter one way or another (Gal. 5:6; 6:15), though I should address Gal. 5:2-3:

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

Upon first reading, it might sound like getting circumcised is sinful, but really Paul is talking about trusting in Christ alone for salvation (bolded). His real issue is people getting circumcised thinking it was required for salvation. As long as you are clear that being circumcised doesn't save you, this passage doesn't disallow circumcision.

However, in 1 Cor. 7:17-24, Paul says that we should not change from when you become a Christian, and specifically talks about circumcision. Paul sounds to be encouraging us to be content with what God has or hasn't given us (or has removed from us, in this case).

theassman69420 · 2021-03-15T23:42:37+00:00

As an uncircumcised guy in the states I felt like a weirdo being the only one in the locker rooms as a kid. My folks let me choose as a teen but that dont sound too fun. As an adult I’m very glad to be whole.

mixlplex · 2021-01-01T14:19:39+00:00

My understanding is that Paul is taking about adult converts, not infants (though I'm sure there's wiggle room to address the Jewish audience who was newly converted and were considering circumcision for their newborn sons, maybe because it's tradition, maybe because they're used to following the law). The point is that there was a huge issue at that time in the church of people thinking that to be a Christian you had to be a Jew as well. This is what Paul was trying to address. Christ came to fulfill the law and Paul clearly states that you don't have to be a Jew to be a Christian. You're free from the law, so don't put yourself in bondage to it.

However, the way I'm reading your question it sounds as if it is about infants. I think this is a different scenario. I circumcised my sons, not to have them adhere to the law (which has been fulfilled), but because it may help them and their future wives not get cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15825185/ and https://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/news/20110106/male-circumcision-cuts-womens-cervical-cancer-risk . It also allows me to be a bit more lazy by not having to teach them how to clean under the foreskin to reduce the risk of urinary tract infection https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23201382/ (along with other issues https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439293/ ) oh, and don't forget about increased chances of sexually transmitted diseases for uncircumcised men, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(14)70325-0/fulltext

Also, God knew what he was doing when he said to do it on the 8th day (look up the vitamin k levels on the 8th day... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=circumcision+8th+day+vitamin+k ). This tells me (and I could be completely wrong) that God has a specific reason in mind to have the infants circumcised. (I mean, why not have it done as rite of passage as part of the Bar Mitzvah? Well... maybe not at the Bar Mitzvah itself, but you know what I mean. This would mean they're serious about their faith.) If you're going to circumcise them, the 8th day is the day to do it, at least back in the day when we didn't have the medical services that we have now.

Lastly, I had it done at the hospital since we've now got ointments and such to help the healing process. This therefore isn't the ritualistic circumcision to adhere to Jewish law, but a strictly medical procedure.

When you're doing your own research on this, be aware that some authors are coming at this with a negative bias (e.g. articles that say circumcision is ripping the foreskin of like you rip off a fingernail. Nope, that's clearly biased. It's cut off with surgical instruments in a medical procedure.)

TL/DR - By having your son(s) circumcised at the hospital you're not following (and making them subject to) the law (the law says do it on the 8th day by a trained Rabbi during a specific ceremony), instead you're doing a medical procedure to help them and their future wife not get cancer, as well as potentially helping your son's medical health.

Praexology · 2021-01-02T04:54:04+00:00

Paul also says to Timothy TO be circumcised. So that begs the question "Why would someone circumcise their boys now" and that is a question everyone must answer for themselves.

There is no longer a spiritual reason to circumcise, but there could definitely be others.

redarcher99 · 2021-01-02T20:17:25+00:00

Galatians 5 is talking about circumcision of men (not children).

Galatians 6:15 is where you're thinking of where it says Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Context is also key. In the context of Galatians, Paul is writing to correct the false-teaching that Christians must be circumcised and keep the Old Testament law in order to be Christian. Chapters 2 and 6 are key to understanding chapter 5.

For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. - Galatians 2:12

This overview video of Galatians is helpful in understanding the context.

In Acts 16 Paul actually circumcised Timothy so he can minister with the gospel to Jews:

Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. - Acts 16:3

The gospel is the key reason for not circumcising in Galatians and for circumcising in Acts, the reasons why make all the difference.

Circumcision was the outward sign of being part of God's people under the old covenant, baptism is the outward sign of being part of God's people for Christians under the new covenant.

As a Christian you have the freedom to circumcise or not circumcise your children. Medically there doesn't seem to be a strong preference one way or another and ironically a lot of medical literature states that it's mostly done for "religious reasons". I personally wouldn't bother to do it for my kids unless a medical professional was giving me a good reason.

Pecotrain74 · 2021-01-04T03:13:31+00:00

Now I kno why my mom never got me circumcised. Its always clean tho. Lol. Always pull it back whenever u got to the restroom. Keep it clean and u won't have Ny problems....

5_Solae · 2021-01-05T02:32:03+00:00

No, but after having 3 daughters, I’m thinking God isn’t going to give me that choice.

AngelRose777 · 2021-01-01T23:20:22+00:00

We will circumsize. And it's a personal decision I dont appreciate nonChristians that want to stomp on religious liberty and parental rights trying to bully me out of. Because they try a lot and I'm tired of it.

Proper_Screen · 2021-01-01T13:34:52+00:00

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:2-6)

From the context it seems like Paul is saying that you can either choose to get your salvation by following the law (including circumcision) or by following Jesus, but you have to choose, and it's only through Jesus that you have any real hope of getting salvation.

IMHO there's no Biblical reason to choose getting circumcised over not circumcised, and from what I hear it doesn't make much difference either way medically or sexually. So, meh.

Full disclosure: Both my son and I are circumcised.

Cabeelibob · 2021-01-01T17:57:49+00:00

My mother is a nurse in Urology. She is a big supporter of circumcision. It is better to have your foreskin off when you are younger and can't remember ever having it than to have it infected and need to have it cut off anyway, which is a much more painful and a much bigger deal.

Also, a point for discussion, would it not be beneficial as well to circumcise my sons as a reminder of Christ and their obligation to be men of virtue?

daddywalt83 · 2021-01-01T16:55:47+00:00

From my theological understanding, the issue with the circumcisions in the context of the scripture was that new Christians were adding Jewish law to Christianity. So new Christian church was saying you had to be Jewish before you could be a follower of Christ. But much of the previous Jewish laws were to make them different and a nationality of priests. So in context, Galatians Paul is clarify the difference between the covenants. So now it's a matter of preference. I was circumcised as a baby and so were my boys, but for hygiene preferences. I've seen some gnarly foreskin issues in my years in the medical field. The procedure and recovery is much easier as a baby or child.

thefudmaster · 2021-01-01T13:29:14+00:00

My sons are circumcised and so am I. I do not have an issue with it.

There are many things in the Old Testament which were ruled over. In Acts 10, the Bible speaks of formerly unclean animals which were now okay to eat (e.g. pork, etc.).

Here is a great analysis of the context of chapter 5 in Galatians.

BadManDanDan · 2021-01-01T16:17:09+00:00

I call Him Shorty cause He likes em circumcised.

Title	Will you circumcise your sons?
Author	James_Rustler_
Upvotes	21
Comments	81
Date	January 1, 2021 12:49 PM UTC (5 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/RPChristians
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/RPChristians/comments/koasg8/will_you_circumcise_your_sons/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/RPChristians/will-you-circumcise-your-sons.360832 https://theredarchive.com/post/360832

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