On The Eighth Day He declared Himself to be El Shaddi, (God Amighty as it says in Genesis 17:1) and spoke to Abraham declaring a covenant between him and all those in the house of Israel. Indeed an everlasting sign in the form of circumcision, He purposed to set apart His chosen ones. This covenant was non-negotiable, and those who would not share in that covenant were cast out from the people, according to His law. The Hebrew nation was devoted to Him, willing gladly to make the sacrifice of the flesh to declare themselves His children through this ceremony. Today, the religious desire to have a young male circumcised runs deeply and that decision has merit, IF – your religion requires it of you. The question for us, then, is whether or not circumcision is required for the Christian. To answer this question, we must rely strictly on scripture and not on emotion or tradition. If we go to the scriptures, it is tempting to look only at the New Testament, as that is where the line is drawn between the two faiths. However, the Old Testament contains the preparation for the hearts of the people for a change. "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Jeramiah 31:31 God had found fault and told the people that He would be changing the covenant that He had originally set up to be everlasting. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 31:32 Here God uses the word because to explain why He is going to create a new covenant. The people lived in a fallen state, and were unable to keep His covenant. He originally said to cast those out, but in His loving kindness as their Husband, He is going to change that covenant and create a new one that was far easier for them to keep. He did this because it involved a sacrifice not on their part any longer, but the sacrifice of God’s own Son. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes this about the covenant: For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. Hebrews 8:7 What, then, is this new covenant? It is because of Jesus Christ that we are Christians, so let’s look at what He has to say about the new covenant. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20 The new covenant wasn’t His cup obviously, but His blood. As the Hebrews would make the sacrifice of the flesh as a covenant sign that they belonged to God, Jesus in turn made the ultimate sacrifice of the flesh by declaring He belonged to us through the shedding of His blood and the destroying of His entire flesh. The new covenant, gang, is Christ’s action of dying on the cross so that we might live a life and love more abundant. What a precious and loving thing for the Lord to do for us! What, then, happens to circumcision? Is it still required? Again, we better stick to what the Bible has to say about it and leave emotions to the side. By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear. Hebrews 8:13 What about medical reasons, you might ask. There is no medical association that is willing to say that circumcision is a necessary procedure for health reasons. The American Academy of Pediatrics has changed its position through the years, oscillating on whether un-circumcision leads to any major health concerns, but in large part, maintains that it is a cosmetic procedure done at the request of the parents. What about in the locker room, you might say. Won’t he be teased? Although in the 80’s and before there was maybe one kid who wasn’t circumcised and was then of course teased, the average is far higher, with as much as 80 percent of the boys not circumcised on the West coast. There has been a great educational effort by many brave individuals willing to stand up and speak out about the wrong information that continues to circulate about the subject. But I want my boy to look like his father, some say. Will he have exactly the same color hair? Will every feature be exactly the same? Children ask why their hair color is different from everyone else’s and we answer them truthfully. If they ask why their penis looks different from their father’s, a truthful answer can easily be given as well. I know an older male who had to be circumcised because his foreskin adhered to his glans, one might argue. If a young girl did not wash herself in the folds of her labia, she too, would be in trouble and would have to have medical assistance to reverse what her poor hygiene had done. However, although that risk exists, parents are not demanding female circumcision for their daughters. They now give a local to numb the boy before they remove his foreskin, you say. The anesthesia, causes swelling that can lead to hemorrhage, which greatly increases the chance of major complications or death (which does happen). The anesthesia itself causes pain when administered, and can be incomplete in reducing pain. If parents truly knew the torture involved in early hospital circumcision, and that it was all done for the purposes and arguments listed above, they might reconsider this ritual that is only bound to those outside the camp of the Christians. It is unnecessary, not medically indicated, purely done for cosmetic and religious purposes. Insurance companies are refusing to pay for it, and doctors are now rising up and refusing to perform it. Take a look at these videos to hear what the medical community is starting to say about routine circumcision. For those who chose to circumcise their boy and may be feeling strong emotion after reading this article or viewing these videos, take heart. God knows your motives and that they were never intended to harm your child. You may have taken the information given to you at the time and made the best choice based upon that. We cannot undo what has been done in the past, but we can go out in love and educate others about the truth in this procedure. |
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Cascade Christian Childbirth Association
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