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A question I often hear, is how we can allow our children to be circumcised. When reading Paul's epistles, you often see the apostle expressively forbidding circumcision, e.g.: "if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing [...] Christ is become of no effect unto you [...] ye are fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:2-6).
The point is that Paul forbids us to follow Jewish ceremonial law because then we would still be in bondage of the Law ". . . whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain" (Galatians 4:8-11).
And this is the key point: The only thing Paul forbids us is to serve false gods. In fact he allows us to eat sacrificial meat, on the stipulation that we all agree that the gods to whom the meat was consecrated are false gods:
What Paul is saying is that we can eat all meats (verse 25) because all meats belong to the true God (26) as long as we all agree meat is meat (27) unless somebody tells us the meat is consecrated to a false god (28) (1 Corinthians 10:25-30 - see also 1 Corinthians 8:1-13).
The same thing goes for circumcision: We are not following Jewish ceremonies - circumcision is performed to prevent masturbation among young boys:
So remember: When you are having your kids circumcised, it is important that everybody in the room agrees that we are not following Jewish ceremonial law, but fighting Sin -- the Sin of Onan.
The point is that Paul forbids us to follow Jewish ceremonial law because then we would still be in bondage of the Law ". . . whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain" (Galatians 4:8-11).
And this is the key point: The only thing Paul forbids us is to serve false gods. In fact he allows us to eat sacrificial meat, on the stipulation that we all agree that the gods to whom the meat was consecrated are false gods:
1 Corinthians 10:25 Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
1 Corinthians 10:26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
1 Corinthians 10:27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
1 Corinthians 10:28 But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
1 Corinthians 10:26 For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.
1 Corinthians 10:27 If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
1 Corinthians 10:28 But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
What Paul is saying is that we can eat all meats (verse 25) because all meats belong to the true God (26) as long as we all agree meat is meat (27) unless somebody tells us the meat is consecrated to a false god (28) (1 Corinthians 10:25-30 - see also 1 Corinthians 8:1-13).
The same thing goes for circumcision: We are not following Jewish ceremonies - circumcision is performed to prevent masturbation among young boys:
"To obtain the best results one must cut away enough skin and mucous membrane to rather put it on the stretch when erections come later. There must be no play in the skin after the wound has thoroughly healed, but it must fit tightly over the penis, for should there be any play the patient will be found to readily resume his practice not begrudging the time and extra energy required to produce the orgasm... We may not be sure that we have done away with the possibility of masturbation, but we may feel confident that we have limited it to within the danger lines."
(E.J. Spratling, MD. Medical Record, Masturbation in the Adult, vol. 48, no. 13, September 28, 1895, pp. 442-443.)
[...]
A remedy for masturbation which is almost always successful in small boys is circumcision. The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anesthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment. In females, the author has found the application of pure carbolic acid to the clitoris an excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement.
(John Harvey Kellogg, M.D., "Treatment for Self-Abuse and its Effects," Plain Fact for Old and Young. Burlington, Iowa: F. Segner & Co. (1888). P. 295)
(E.J. Spratling, MD. Medical Record, Masturbation in the Adult, vol. 48, no. 13, September 28, 1895, pp. 442-443.)
[...]
A remedy for masturbation which is almost always successful in small boys is circumcision. The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anesthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment. In females, the author has found the application of pure carbolic acid to the clitoris an excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement.
(John Harvey Kellogg, M.D., "Treatment for Self-Abuse and its Effects," Plain Fact for Old and Young. Burlington, Iowa: F. Segner & Co. (1888). P. 295)
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