Should Your Child be Circumcised? (40 Centuries Ago, God Said Yes; Welcome to Sunday School)

Three things of very high importance will carry you in the trying times we are in, and through those that approach.  These troubles look eerily like what Jesus calls “the beginning of sorrows” in Matthew 24:3-8:

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

In Matthew 24, the beginning of sorrow introduces the great tribulation period that leads up to the world-ending battle of Armageddon.

Dear visitor, if you have yet to be BORN AGAIN, the secrets of the blessable place that follows are not yours, but they surely can be.

Three things of very high importance:

1. ALL your sins are washed clean by the blood of Jesus, and you have turned from them. I John 1:7:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.     

2. Your life is committed unto Jesus Christ with your might.  You are pressing in. Luke 16:16:

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 

3. The confession of your mouth is according to the promises God has made His children. For example, Romans 8:28:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

When these three align, you are in a blessable place—even Biblically perfect—and will continue to develop—one perfect stage at a time—until God’s work in you is completed.

Today, unsaved friend, everything will change for you.  In just a few moments, I will invite you to follow me in a simple prompt.  If you follow from your heart, you will begin a new and unimaginable life today.  Today, the blood of Jesus Christ will absolve you of all your past sins.  Today, your shame will be replaced with God’s grace.  Today, ALL of Satan’s chains will be snapped like straw.  Today, you will become a new creature—BORN AGAIN, born a second time, just like Jesus said. John 3:3:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Here is the simple prompt I promised: Click onto Further with Jesus for childlike instructions and immediate entry in the Kingdom of God. NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.

GOD SAID, Genesis 17:10-14:

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

GOD SAID, Ezekiel 16:6:

And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 26:2:

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

MAN SAID: I’m going to do my own thing, regardless of what the Bible says.  I’m a good person!It’s true I booze it up, and dope it up; I lust it up, and lie it up; and I for sure hate it up, especially those Bible-thumpers.  If there is a God, He’ll weigh my good against my bad and say, “Welcome home.”  I’m a good person, you know?!

Now THE RECORD: Welcome to GodSaidManSaid feature 1099 that will once again contend for the faith.  All of these faith-building features are archived here in text and streaming audio for your edification and to be used as bait for the fishers of men.  Every Thursday eve, God willing, they grow by one. 

Thank you for coming.  May God’s love engulf all of you. 

Consistently, science arrives at their eureka! moment, just to find that God’s Word has already recorded their “latest discovery” thousands of years earlier in its written text.  Most are oblivious to the Scriptural record due to a lack of schooling, as in Sunday schooling.  Have no fear, God’s students of the Bible are prepared and happy to set the record straight.  Today’s feature regarding the Bible and its position on male circumcision will demonstrate this point.

To those who point out that male circumcision has been fulfilled in Christ, and is not required for New Testament salvation, we respond that that observation is absolutely true.  However, keep in mind that the vast majority of the citizens of this world (as in the 90%-plus range) do not possess Christian credentials.  Also note that all of God’s commandments have a spiritual and physical component.  The physical benefits of male circumcision are as real today as they were when Abraham received the commandment.  The basic biology of man has not changed from the Old Testament to the New, nor has it changed through today. 

The world’s academics have been brought to the table kicking and screaming.  “No way,” they lament. “No way can God’s Word be confirmed, again and again and again!”  It’s against their religion of unbelief.  Their lack of schooling (as in Sunday schooling) is stamped on their foreheads. 

It’s their Adamic nature showing.  They must resist the inerrancy of the God-authored, supernatural Holy Bible.  This M.O. (modus operandi) began in Eden.  Grandmother mtDNA Eve believed Satan’s words over God’s and Grandfather Y-Chromosome Adam followed her pernicious ways, selling their progeny and birthright to Satan. Thus the need to be BORN AGAIN—thus the need of the Redeemer who would buy back all who call upon His name.  They must resist.  It is a matter of inheritance: Like mother, like daughter; like father, like son. 

The following excerpts are from the GodSaidManSaid feature, “Male Circumcision, A Living Commandment: ‘When Thou Wast in Thy Blood’:”     

In 1971, the prestigious American Academy of Pediatrics said, “Circumcision may have some religious reason, but it delivers no medical benefit whatsoever.”  Up until that time, male circumcision was routine in America.   [Keep in mind what you just read the next time you hear “follow the science.”]      

Famed Jewish historian Josephus wrote in The Antiquities of the Jews the following concerning Jewish tradition and circumcision:

On the eighth day from the birth, whatever day of the week that was, they invariably performed the rite of circumcision.  Three stools were set in the house, or sometimes in the synagogue; one for the person who held the child; one for the operator, whose official name was mûl, or the cutter off; and one for Elias (Elijah), who was supposed to be spiritually present as a zealous defender of the divine law.  The attendants were commonly ten in number, some of which carried torches of twelve wicks, to represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and others a knife for the operation, a cup of red wine to act as a styptic, a basin of sand, into which to throw the prepuce, a basin of olive oil to anoint the part, and a towel and water.  When everything was ready, the female employed by the mother brought the child to the door of the apartment or synagogue, and gave it to him who was appointed to hold it during the operation, who, on entering, was hailed by the company in the following words: “Blessed be he who comes.”  When the operation was finished, the operator said, “Blessed be the Lord our God, who has sanctified us by his precepts, and given us the law of circumcision.”  To which the father replied, “Who hath sanctified us by his precepts, and hath commanded us to enter the child into the covenant of Abraham our father;” and the bystanders added, “As thou hast made this child enter, as thou hast received him into the covenant of Abraham our father, cause also that he may enter into the law of Moses, into matrimony, and into good works.”  The operator having washed, received a cup of wine, consecrated it with the usual benediction, and added for the child the following prayer: “O Lord our God, the God of our fathers, strengthen this child, and preserve him to his parents.  May his name be among the people of Israel, (here he, or the father, or mother, or neighbours, gave him his name, Ruth 4:17, Samuel 4:21, Luke 1:59).  Let his father, who begot him, rejoice and be glad; let his mother delight in the fruit of her womb, according as it is written, ‘Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.’  And as it is said by the prophet, ‘And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, when thou was in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, Live.’”  Here he dipped his finger in the basin where the blood was, and touched the child’s face two or three times, with the hope that, according to the prophet, he might live so much longer in the blood of circumcision; adding, “David also says, ‘He hath remembered his covenant for ever, his word which he commanded to a thousand generations.’”  He then prayed to God that all might be safe who confirmed the covenant, and wished long life to the parents and the child; after which a cup of wine was given to all present, and the child conveyed to his mother.

Children dying before the eight day were circumcised in the cemetery, on the lid of the coffin, and names given them, that they might be known at the resurrection of the just; but no prayers were offered on the occasion.[End of quotes]

Circumcision is the token of God’s covenant with Abraham and his seed; according to Ezekiel 16:6 quoted earlier, it is associated with life.  Thousands of years before man’s science comes knocking, he finds that God is already there.  Because the inerrant God is the author of the Scriptures, every position He takes is beyond error—that really galls the camp of the ungodly.  The issue of circumcision is an excellent example of this. 

The research certifying the Bible’s position on circumcision is overwhelming.  Several examples follow:

American Cancer Society also published these following excerpts in May of 2006 titled, "What Are the Risk Factors for Penile Cancer?"

Circumcision is the removal of a part or all of the foreskin at birth or later on in life. In the United States, men who are circumcised in childhood have a lower rate of penile cancer. It’s not known whether this is due to the absence of the foreskin or other lifestyle factors. Recent studies have found that circumcised men are less likely to be infected with HPV (human papillomavirus), even after this risk is adjusted for differences in sexual behavior. Other studies suggest that circumcision may reduce the risk of more invasive forms of penile cancer. A recent study reported that uncircumcised men who had phimosis in the past were at increased risk of developing penile cancer. [End of quote]

American Cancer Society published an article in 2002 concerning cancer of the cervix. The article''s title is "New Study Shows Benefit of Male Circumcision." The following paragraphs are from that article:

Women are less likely to develop cancer of the cervix if their partners are circumcised men rather than men who are not circumcised, said a report in The New England Journal of Medicine (Vol. 346, No. 15: 1105-1112).

Experts believe a penis that has been circumcised is less likely to harbor human papilloma virus (HPV), a virus associated with almost all cases of cervical cancer.

Circumcision has become controversial in recent years. Its advocates in the medical community argue that it prevents urinary tract infections in male babies. It also lowers sexually transmitted infections with HPV that cause genital warts in men. Finally, penile cancer arises less often in men who were circumcised as babies.

Now a group of international researchers, led by Xavier Castellsague, MD, of the Lobregat Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, have uncovered another reason to favor circumcision. They found that women whose partners were uncircumcised were more likely to develop cancer of the cervix.

The researchers also tested for HPV infection in the males by taking specimens from their penises. The results were matched with whether the men were circumcised.

The first discovery was that men who weren''t circumcised were more than twice as likely to be infected with HPV. In both groups, the chance of HPV infection increased with high-risk sexual activity such as unprotected sex, early age of first sexual activity, and number of partners.

But even more striking was the effect on their partners. Women whose male partners were uncircumcised and had high-risk sexual behavior were two to five times more likely to develop cervical cancer. This high rate of cancer was almost certainly caused by the high rate of HPV infection in these men. [End of quote]

In the April 27, 2006 issue of Medical News Today, under the heading, "Circumcision and Fidelity More Effective HIV Prevention Method Than Condoms, Abstinence, Researchers Say," the following excerpts were found:

Promoting male circumcision and fidelity to one partner seems to be more effective at curbing the spread of HIV than promoting abstinence and condom use, USAID researcher and technical adviser Daniel Halperin said last week, the Chicago Tribune reports. As Halperin and other researchers analyze 20 years of studies on HIV/AIDS throughout Africa, they have tried to "put aside intuitions, emotions, ideologies and look at the evidence in as coldhearted a way as we can."

In comparison, faithfulness to one partner has worked at reducing HIV prevalence in Uganda and Kenya, according to Halperin. Because a person is more likely to transmit HIV during the first three weeks of contracting the virus, an HIV-positive person who has just one partner during that time is likely to pass the disease to that one person. But if an HIV-positive person in the highly infectious stage has many sexual partners at a time, "the virus spreads like wildfire" as those people in turn have sex with other people, Halperin said. In addition, circumcision has been shown to reduce male-to-female HIV transmission by 60% to 75% (Goering, Chicago Tribune, 4/23). A study published in the November 2005 issue of PLoS Medicine of men living in South Africa finds that male circumcision might reduce the risk of men contracting HIV through sexual intercourse with women by about 60%. Male circumcision might also reduce the risk of HIV transmission from HIV-positive men to their female partners, according to a study of couples in Rakai, Uganda (Kaiser DailyHIV/AIDS Report, 2/9). [End of quote]

In the December 2006 issue, The International Jerusalem Post weighed in on the subject of male circumcision under the heading, "Israeli experts: Circumcision helps fight AIDS." The following statements are from that article:

Israeli experts are urging a visiting World Health Organization (WHO) team to promote circumcisions of both adults and newborns in the Third World to help reduce HIV transmission.

Current research shows that six in 10 circumcised men are immune to HIV infection, but only about a fifth of men around the world have been circumcised for religious, medical, or cultural reasons.

A major study at Orange Farm, South Africa, last year showed circumcision offered men significant protection against HIV infection, equivalent to what any highly effective vaccine would have achieved.

"What we learned in Israel," said Farley (of the WHO''s department of reproductive health and research), "will be useful to inform other countries interested in expanding male circumcision of babies and adults. The WHO doesn''t have funds to subsidize this, but it can encourage countries to improve and expand circumcision services. We are especially interested in clinic-based circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa." [End of quote]

The following paragraphs are from a December 2006 news release published by Reuters under the headline, "U.N. Urges Circumcision In AIDS-Hit Southern Africa:"

AIDS-stricken Southern African nations should develop a policy of mass male circumcision to fight the disease, the head of the United Nations anti-AIDS agency said on Tuesday.

Several recent medical studies have reported circumcision cuts the risk of HIV infection among men by 50-60 percent, and the findings have been backed by UNAIDS.

"These (African) countries should now prepare how to introduce circumcision on a large scale," UNAIDS chief Dr. Peter Piot told Reuters. "The science is clear."

This news release published November 6, 2006, again by Reuters, says circumcision loud and clear. The title of the release is, "Circumcision Cuts STD Risk, Major Study Finds." The subhead reads, "25-year study finds substantial benefit to controversial procedure."

The following is a quick bullet point review of GodSaidManSaid''s first article on this topic titled, "Circumcision:"

📍 Birth records of 219,755 male children born in U.S. Armed Forces hospitals from 1975 to 1979 were examined. It was found that the uncircumcised experienced an 1100% higher incidence of urinary tract infections. After nine different studies were reviewed, the finding was that the uncircumcised suffered urinary tract infections 12 times more often than those who were circumcised.

📍 The uncircumcised are 800% more likely to acquire AIDS via a heterosexual relationship.

📍 In 1947, a study of 1,300 consecutive patients in a Canadian Army unit showed that being uncircumcised was associated with a nine-fold higher risk of syphilis and three times more gonorrhea.

📍 In 50,000 penile cancer cases recorded in the U.S., 49,990 were among uncircumcised men. Only ten of those cancer victims were circumcised! Ten thousand of the 50,000 penile cancer cases died as a result of the disease.

📍 Uncircumcised men have twice the incidence of prostate cancer.

📍 Later in a man''s life, the uncircumcised are twice as likely to have erectile dysfunction as his circumcised counterpart.

📍 Studies have documented higher rates of cervical cancer in women who have had one or more uncircumcised partners. The benefits from male circumcision run on and on. [End of quotes]

It is astonishing that the detractors of God’s Word continue to resist.  Millions are sick and suffering, dying and dead as a result of man’s rebellion.  The following Associated Press feature, titled “Study: Male Circumcision Helps Prevent 2 STDs,” was published March 25, 2009.  The following excerpts are from that feature:

LOS ANGELES—Circumcision not only protects against HIV in heterosexual men, but it also helps prevent two other sexually transmitted infections, a large new study found.  Circumcised males reduced their risk of infection with HPV, or human papillomavirus, by 35 percent and herpes by 28 percent.  However, researchers found circumcision had no effect on the transmission of syphilis. [End of quotes]

The August 19, 2017 headline of Science News reads: “Penis Microbes May Up HIV Risk.”  Several paragraphs from the article follow:

Out-of-whack microbes in the vagina can raise HIV risk—and now there’s evidence that the makeup of the penis microbiome matters, too.  The greater the number of anaerobic bacteria tucked under the foreskin, the more likely an uncircumcised man is to become infected with the virus, Cindy Liu of George Washington University in Washington, DC, and colleagues report July 25 in mBio.

The researchers swabbed the penises of heterosexual Ugandan men to collect bacteria. Two years later, the team compared the bacterial composition of 46 uncircumcised men who contracted HIV during the study with that of 136 uncircumcised men who didn’t. 

The total amount of penile bacteria didn’t differ. But men with 10 times as many Prevotella Dialister, Finegoldia, and Peptoniphilus anaerobic bacteria had a 54 to 63 percent increased risk of HIV after controlling for other risk factors. 

The results may help explain why circumcision cuts HIV risk, says Thomas Hope, a cell biologist at Northwestern University’s medical school in Chicago: Removing the foreskin takes away a moist hideout for bacteria that thrive in oxygen-starved places.  [End of quote]

Finally, from GodSaidManSaid on male circumcisions:

One last fact to remember is that God commanded the male child to be circumcised on the eighth day. Why the eighth day? On the eighth day of the human life span, vitamin K, which causes blood to clot, reaches its peak—the very day God commanded circumcision to be performed. God said to circumcise the male child over 40 centuries before medical science had the foggiest idea of the benefits. He commanded it to be performed on the eighth day. This is just another proof that God is.

GodSaidManSaid would like to take this occasion to welcome the scientific community to Sunday school. 

Circumcision: God commanded it and inside this commandment is a blessing or a curse.  Believe the beautiful Book.  It is true and righteous altogether—a place to build a life that will last forever. 

GOD SAID, Genesis 17:10-14:

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

GOD SAID, Ezekiel 16:6:

And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 26:2:

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

MAN SAID: I’m going to do my own thing, regardless of what the Bible says.  I’m a good person!It’s true I booze it up, and dope it up; I lust it up, and lie it up; and I for sure hate it up, especially those Bible-thumpers.  If there is a God, He’ll weigh my good against my bad and say, “Welcome home.”  I’m a good person, you know?!

Now you have THE RECORD.

 

 

References:

Authorized King James Version

GodSaidManSaid, “Male Circumcision, A Living Commandment: ‘When Thou Wast in Thy Blood’”

Hamers, L., “Penis Microbes May Up HIV Risk,” Science News, August 19, 2017

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