"Purpose of male circumcision is..." - Maimonides

[Delta4Embassy]

"Judaism, however, is not entirely free of its heritage of repressive sexuality as is evident in Moses Maimonides' The Guide of the Perplexed; and the Code of Jewish Law (Chapter 150: Laws of Chastity; Chapter 151: the Sin of Discharging Semen in Vain). A brief quote from Maimonides is illustrative:

Similarly one of the intentions of the Law is purity and sanctification; I mean by this renouncing and avoiding sexual intercourse and causing it to be as infrequent as possible, as I shall make clear (III:8);

and

Similarly with regard to circumcision, one of the reasons for it is, in my opinion, the wish to bring about a decrease in sexual intercourse and a weakening of the organ in question, so that this activity be diminished and the organ be in as quite a state as possible.... The bodily pain caused to that member is the real purpose of circumcision (III:49)."

Rabbi Nathan A. Barack and James W. Prescott Ph.D. Letter Exchange

 

[Avatar4321]

Bodily pain? What man who was circumcised as a child as is tradition in Judaism remembers any pain? What man who is circumcised has less sex than he otherwise would?

 

[Mr. H.]

My brother in law needed gum surgery to repair the damage from years of using mouth tobacco.
In talking to my sister about it, she asked "where are they going to get the tissue? His ear lobe?"
I asked if he'd been circumcised. That seemed to gross her out.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Considering what some - especially religious nutters - have written about it, he's probably at least partially correct. Some, also religious nutters, have believed it would stop masturbation.

The funny thing to me is that these same religious nutters believe its a good thing to whack away at something they believe their god created.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Bodily pain? What man who was circumcised as a child as is tradition in Judaism remembers any pain? What man who is circumcised has less sex than he otherwise would?

Isn't about whether you remember the pain as an adult. You wont. But you experience the pain at the moment. And since Judaism is very big on avoidance of pain this seems contradictory.

 

[September]

A large circumsized cock is much more aesthetically pleasing than a large uncircumcised cock, in my honest opinion.​

 

[Delta4Embassy]

A large circumsized cock is much more aesthetically pleasing than a large uncircumcised cock, in my honest opinion.​

Have had lovers of both. Gotta say I prefer circumcized. Foreskin just feels weird.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

As a circumcized man I gotta say if the point was to weaken my member or diminish my sexual desire, thank god for that. If it were stronger I'd be in trouble. Or you know, everyone else would be in trouble.

 

[hobelim]

Bodily pain? What man who was circumcised as a child as is tradition in Judaism remembers any pain? What man who is circumcised has less sex than he otherwise would?

Isn't about whether you remember the pain as an adult. You wont. But you experience the pain at the moment. And since Judaism is very big on avoidance of pain this seems contradictory.

Since the prophets spoke of circumcising the foreskin of the heart/mind it would seem logical to think that the subject of circumcision is not about mutilating the penises of infants as a sign or mark of devotion as a Jew to God. It can't be since there is another command to not mark the flesh with a knife.

For those who think it is about mutilating the penis as a sign of devotion to God then they should do it like like Abraham did, as an adult and to their own penises.

If it is just an aesthetic thing as seems to be the consensus then it should be an elective procedure like a tattoo or body piercing or any cosmetic surgery that only an adult can consent to.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Bodily pain? What man who was circumcised as a child as is tradition in Judaism remembers any pain? What man who is circumcised has less sex than he otherwise would?

Isn't about whether you remember the pain as an adult. You wont. But you experience the pain at the moment. And since Judaism is very big on avoidance of pain this seems contradictory.

Since the prophets spoke of circumcising the foreskin of the heart/mind it would seem logical to think that the subject of circumcision is not about mutilating the penises of infants as a sign or mark of devotion as a Jew to God. It can't be since there is another command to not mark the flesh with a knife.

For those who think it is about mutilating the penis as a sign of devotion to God then they should do it like like Abraham did, as an adult and to their own penises.

If it is just an aesthetic thing as seems to be the consensus then it should be an elective procedure like a tattoo or body piercing or any cosmetic surgery that only an adult can consent to.

No there isn't. Prohibition is about cutting the flesh as a religious practice for mourning. Many other religions practices were forbidden including this one. Jewish circumcision is removing the foreskin of the penis, it's not a figurative thing, it's literal. Dunno what you're refering to but sounds like the plethora of deliberate mistranslation of Jewish texts common to antisemitism.

 

[hobelim]

Bodily pain? What man who was circumcised as a child as is tradition in Judaism remembers any pain? What man who is circumcised has less sex than he otherwise would?

Isn't about whether you remember the pain as an adult. You wont. But you experience the pain at the moment. And since Judaism is very big on avoidance of pain this seems contradictory.

Since the prophets spoke of circumcising the foreskin of the heart/mind it would seem logical to think that the subject of circumcision is not about mutilating the penises of infants as a sign or mark of devotion as a Jew to God. It can't be since there is another command to not mark the flesh with a knife.

For those who think it is about mutilating the penis as a sign of devotion to God then they should do it like like Abraham did, as an adult and to their own penises.

If it is just an aesthetic thing as seems to be the consensus then it should be an elective procedure like a tattoo or body piercing or any cosmetic surgery that only an adult can consent to.

No there isn't. Prohibition is about cutting the flesh as a religious practice for mourning. Many other religions practices were forbidden including this one. Jewish circumcision is removing the foreskin of the penis, it's not a figurative thing, it's literal. Dunno what you're refering to but sounds like the plethora of deliberate mistranslation of Jewish texts common to antisemitism.

Don't be silly. The prophets clearly spoke of circumcision of the "Flesh" of the foreskin of the mind, a metaphor for the teaching and beliefs rooted in the evil inclination.

If circumcision was a mark or sign on the penis of dedication to God as a Jew who gets to see this sign? Is there a secret handshake?

If the subject has deeper implications and is about the removal of the evil inclination then everyone would see that sign of dedication to God in everything a person says and does whether male or female.

Which is more likely the truth? What reflects the wisdom of God? What Maimonides believed? The several thousand year old codified tradition of male infant abuse?

Do you think the prophets who spoke for God in metaphor and allegory were wrong that the subject of circumcision is hidden in metaphor and allegory?

Maybe the command to circumcise conveys a little bronze age humor by what amounts to calling people dickheads?

 

[Avatar4321]

Maybe it was just done as a symbol of the covenant like God said it was.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Maybe it was just done as a symbol of the covenant like God said it was.

Hacking off parts of penises as "symbolism"???

Religious nutters are -- well, they're just nutty.

An interesting aspect of this is, just like cutting off parts of little girls genitals and just like the Chinese practice of foot binding, which I recently read is becoming popular again), its very often the same sex parent/family who is in favor of the mutilation.

How sick is that?

 

[hotpotato]

Don't forget, January 1st is circumcision day.
Supposedly the Vatican has Jesus' foreskin locked away in the holy vaults. It was found in a silver box, along with some baby teeth and a lock of hair. That Mary was just an ordinary mother!
Happy Holy Circumcision Day - The Daily Beast

 

[Delta4Embassy]

11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that 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 male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.'
- Bereishit 17
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0117.htm

If it's figurative or metaphor how's a less than 8 day old exercise that metaphor?

 

[hobelim]

11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt Me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that 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 male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.'
- Bereishit 17
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0117.htm

If it's figurative or metaphor how's a less than 8 day old exercise that metaphor?

First notice 'ye shall be circumcised "in the flesh" of the foreskin'. The command is not to remove the entire foreskin. Next, how can God's covenant be in the flesh for an everlasting covenant unless flesh is symbolic of teaching? How is it even possible that Gods covenant could be on a penis? How bizarre is that? The command only makes sense and reveals wisdom if the deeper implications are saying that the sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people is in their teaching and practice of subduing the evil inclination, the foreskin of the heart/ mind from a very early age, as was urged by the prophets.

The commands says nothing whatsoever about suppressing sexual urges by traumatizing infants and mutilating their penises either figuratively or literally.

And what is the sign of the covenant if not in the observance of the Law which teaches to distinguish between right and wrong and true and false and good and evil and life and death?

Again, how is it even possible that Gods covenant could be in the flesh of the foreskin of a penis?


The sign of God's covenant can only be seen by the mark it leaves on the mind, in the same way that the faithful receive a mark on their foreheads securing them from destruction between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seals in the book of Revelation, 7:3.

A person can have no trace of a foreskin on their penis and still be an uncircumcised dickhead.

 

[Zander]

the creep streak continues unabated......

Can Delta ever start a thread that isn't about cocks, balls, assholes, bodily functions, or sexual deviancy ? Ever?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

the creep streak continues unabated......

Can Delta ever start a thread that isn't about cocks, balls, assholes, bodily functions, or sexual deviancy ? Ever?

Ya, why are psychologists so obsessed about sex?

 

[Zander]

the creep streak continues unabated......

Can Delta ever start a thread that isn't about cocks, balls, assholes, bodily functions, or sexual deviancy ? Ever?

Ya, why are psychologists so obsessed about sex?

I have very little respect for Physicians of any sort, they are too deep in debt to be trusted.

Doctor, heal thyself.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

the creep streak continues unabated......

Can Delta ever start a thread that isn't about cocks, balls, assholes, bodily functions, or sexual deviancy ? Ever?

Ya, why are psychologists so obsessed about sex?

I have very little respect for Physicians of any sort, they are too deep in debt to be trusted.

Doctor, heal thyself.

Zander...Wasn't that a gay effeminate elf on "Drawn Together?"