Then God said to Abraham...

Discussion in 'Politics & Current Events' started by BenReilly, Jul 6, 2005.

  1. dj43

    dj43 New Member

    Aug 9, 2002
    Nor Cal
    I wonder why the lead angle wasn't promiscuity and lack of moral character. That is the true culprit. The discussion I heard brought up the same point. Promiscuity was mentioned but it was buried far down in the article.
     
  2. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    And many do not get circumcised for even more obvious reasons.
     
  3. BenReilly

    BenReilly New Member

    Apr 8, 2002
    I've always found it interesting that this incredibly ancient & primitive ritual is still followed today by almost every Jew, even atheists. And then to hear about a study like this. Well, that's what I thought about.

    No doubt.

    I was whopped upside the head (different one).

    No one is forcing you to celebrate the LORD's Passover :D

    Yeah, kind of.

    Do I think the creator of the vast cosmos takes a special interest in what a small tribe on an ordinary planet do with their foreskins? I would hope not (unless God has access to the WWW, in which case the above sentence is a joke).
     
  4. dj43

    dj43 New Member

    Aug 9, 2002
    Nor Cal

    Not to go all serious on this fun little thread...but I know you have a fair amount of biblical knowledge, hence I would remind that God has a whole lot better tracking system than WWW. The part about having the hairs on our head numbered comes to mind. :)

    But I just don't think that heaven will be populated only by those circumcised. I can't find that requirement anywhere in The Book. Sometimes, in our wizardry, we just seem bent on making things far more complicated than they really are.
     
  5. domingo

    domingo Member

    Jun 26, 2002
    Hanover
    Club:
    FC Hansa Rostock
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    An agnostic question:

    Why did god create men with foreskin in the first place?
     
  6. BenReilly

    BenReilly New Member

    Apr 8, 2002
    The Hebrew bible doesn't have much to say about heaven. Of course, circumcision was a requirement to be part of Israel, not heaven (the two could never possibly be mistaken :D). As the Jewish concept of heaven developed, it never was a "Jews only" club. According to Orthodox Rabbis, it's a lot easier for a non-Jew to go to heaven than a Jew since the latter not only has to be a moral person, but to follow all the Jewish laws (like the foreskin thingie).
     
  7. dj43

    dj43 New Member

    Aug 9, 2002
    Nor Cal
    Following all those 300 odd laws must be harder than for a camel to pass through the needle's eye. Christians have it much easier. We only have to follow 10. :D

    Guess I won't be seeing too many Orthodox Jews then. ;)
     
  8. domingo

    domingo Member

    Jun 26, 2002
    Hanover
    Club:
    FC Hansa Rostock
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Come on guys don´t let me die unknowing.
    Why did God create me a foreskin?
     
  9. Norsk Troll

    Norsk Troll Member+

    Sep 7, 2000
    Central NJ
    Well, OBVIOUSLY, it was as a test of mankind. "Will they REALLY take a knife to their own penis if I tell them to do it?"

    Of course, the transcription got a little garbled. God meant the circumcision to be performed on the 18th year, not the 8th day, which clearly would have made it much more a test of faith!
     
  10. vivzig

    vivzig New Member

    Oct 4, 2004
    The OC
    No kidding!

    Glad my parents had it done, although I apparently gave the doctor hell. Just glad I don't remember it.
     
  11. BenReilly

    BenReilly New Member

    Apr 8, 2002
    Only if you want the matzah. As much as you despise religion, even the ancient scriptures above only require it if (a) you're an Israeli or (b) you want to become an Israeli.

    The problem is that you're kind of like the fundamentalists, taking religion completely literally. The fascinating thing is to appreciate how man has viewed the creator. In this case, we have a strange perhaps barbaric ancient ritual that a tribe decided was mandated by the creator.

    I'm astonished by two things. (1) This weird ritual is still nearly universally observed by the tribe 4000 years later even though most ignore the majority of ancient tribal rules that are clearly much easier to observe and (2) that this strange ritual has turned out to be very healthy (not just with regards to AIDS, but a variety of illnesses).
     
  12. Karimi8Rulz

    Karimi8Rulz New Member

    Jul 3, 2005

    or perhaps, the reason it was a "religious declaration" was to protect the people (health issue)!!
     
  13. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Member+

    Aug 18, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    Almost all Iranians, even those who are not religious or are athiests, get circumcised as well. Even though they don't follow any other religious rules.

    Indeed, I find athiest and agnostic Jews still far more connected culturally to their religious practices than athiest or agnostic (Moslem born) Iranians. Hence, why this one practice (and a few others) is more practiced than others is an interesting question? I assume it is because, even before AIDS, there were some idea that the practice had some useful health reasons behind it.

    Or perhaps because it is easier to do this "once a lifetime thing" than to keep up with all the religious rituals, especially if that "thing" is something you do for your kids who don't have much of a choice in the matter?
     
  14. Coach_McGuirk

    Coach_McGuirk New Member

    Apr 30, 2002
    Between the Pipes
    Yeah, but he did it just for the jokes...
     

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