And God Said To Do What?

Posting Date: 03/01/1999

Samuel: You?ve mentioned that God designed the body, so he knows what to do with it, right?

Dr. Dean: Right, and I think I know where you?re going here.

Samuel: And he said to the Jews that circumcision is what he wanted them to do ? because of the cleanliness.

Dr. Dean: That?s almost the mythology, but here?s how it goes. God said to use circumcision as a mark to show they were Jewish.

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Now, I?m not talking about religious circumcision. The Islamic world circumcises newborn males. And, by the way, the way it's done in Islam and Judaism is a heck of a lot better, quicker and easier on a baby than the way it's done in a hospital, but that's a separate issue.

I can?t get into the whole religious issue of why God would tell the Jews to circumcise their boys but not tell other religions. Some questions I just can?t answer.

On the humorous side, I used to have a cartoon that had a Moses-like figure holding the tablets ? actually it was Abraham who got the command to circumcise. Anyway, he?s looking at the heavens and says: "Let me get this right. You want us to do what?"