CMV: Circumcision of babies should be illegal except in cases where it is necessary as a last-resort medical intervention.

it’s about the dedication to doing what he commanded

But if he doesn't care about it, he wouldn't command it in the first place. That's what I'm saying - do you believe the actual creator of the universe gave this command to a group of Jewish people centuries ago? You seem to be admitting that it's more likely this wasn't a command from God but something a group of human beings thought up. That's fine, I just want you to admit that it makes absolutely no sense that a supreme being would actually care about this, order it, dictate it, tell his followers to do this, etc.

a commandment that’s of a very personal, intense, yet ultimately unimportant and unharmful nature

If it's personal, shouldn't it be up to the child in question whether or not they participate? If it's not actually part of a Covenant with the genuine creator of the universe then there are no theological stakes here at all. Either you believe the creator of the universe ordered human beings to do this (which, I think you'd admit, is a ridiculous and bizarre thing to believe), or you don't. If you don't, it's just a cultural symbol of devotion. Those change all the time, so I don't see why this one is any different from abandoning any other ritual, especially given that it no longer particularly sparates Jewish and non-Jewish people (plenty of the latter are circumcised) and obviously there are plenty of people who would question whether it might be harmful - feels like something a person should decide for themself, at the very least.

/r/changemyview Thread Parent