I stumbled across this recently while going down a different rabbit hole and it stunned me. I missed this previously. It leaves me wondering why I am circumcised. I am a bit bitter still and always about having the tip of my penis chopped off in the name of tradition, Now I see this and wonder what justification my parents could have had in reality? Was it all just peer pressure? They were southern baptists, supposedly believing in NT over OT in any conflict. This is deep in the NT:
Galatians 5:2-6
2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. 4 You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.
I am an Atheist, Ex-Christian, Ex-Southern Baptist Apostate in my 40s. I talked to my mother about it, when I had a son. She said she just didn’t want me to stand out and circumcising was just what everyone else was doing. It drove home the point that my mother has never really thought for herself on any of that and much of it had impact on me. I’m thankful that my kids won’t have to go through all of that.
I’m venting because it dug up an old wound for me. As always, I’d love to hear some feedback.
I don’t think that’s a Christian thing. I live in Germany, a mostly Christian country, my parents are Christians, yet the only circumcised people I know are Jews and one guy that needed to get a circumcision for medical reasons.
I have heard its common in the US tho, to prevent masturbation or something like that.
In the US is a largely puritan Christian thing that still pervades society.
It’s not particularly effective at that second thing, lol
It was about masturbation and faith when Kellogg lobbied for it, but I’d wager now it’s just more a tradition and aesthetics thing. I have heard my nurse friend who works at the VA espouse circumcision since when you get old it gets harder to keep your foreskin clean (she works with a lot of older ex-military patients). I still wish my parents hadn’t circumsized me though.
Idk how it prevents masturbation. Definitely didn’t work for me, unless I’d be masturbating 5-7 times a day without it. If that’s the case then I’m happy it was done. 1-2 times is plenty enough.