The real question Carla is: Is the Bible truly from God?

If so, then you have no basis for your argument at all. You're just flat wrong. If not, your argument would have to be made on a purely medical grounds to have any validity at all, and even then, with evil men in the world who distort information for their own whims, finding the truth in medical research can involve some work, certainly more work than you've invested in investigating whether the Bible was divinely inspired.

If in investigating the Bible I had discovered that it was not what it claimed to be, or that Christ what not who He claimed to be, I would base my opinion on this subject entirely on a different basis. However, having done my homework, I have discovered that the Bible is exactly what it claims to be and Christ is indeed the Son of the living God.

This is foolishness to some, but be that as it may, so is mercury-related illness.

Nevertheless, however you look at it, there are camps with very good arguments that circumcision is beneficial and others with seemingly good arguments that it is bad, but as I've said before, the real problem is deeper than that.

To find out what the core of the problem is, even if you were to ignore the Bible, which you seem intent on doing, you have to ask yourself why some circumcisions work out fine and why others have problems.

The answer—although deep—is simple.

Some doctors don't perform the procedure correctly and others do.

Now, if you attempt solve the problem by calling the act itself bad, that would be considered short-sighted. You have to find out why some go bad and solve the real problem. Ironically, you are doing the same thing in generalizing this subject as are the pharmaceutical companies by trying to claim that "herbal supplements are harmful". Again, don't throw the baby out with the bath water, as it is often spoken.

As for the argument about parents making decisions affecting their childrens bodies...

Parents are forced to make decisions on behalf of their children all the time. This is by design.

Althouth my parents decided to allow the dentist to put fillings made with mercury in my mouth, as an adult, I don't think that dentistry should be abolished. Again, this would be short-sighted.

If you understand the "whys" in reference to why the world was made this way and why people are born and die the way they do, you will learn some of the most important lessons in life, which usually have to do with relationships.

Now, even though parents make some bad (asumptive) decisions, should we put all children in the hands of the god-state for thier own protection? Certainly not. Yet, this is the road down which your philosophy leads, yet I'm quite certain you have not recoginized this as of yet because you have not followed it through to its logical conclusion. (Reading and studying the Bible will help tremendously in the process of learning how to follow things through to their logical conclusion.)

There are advantages to circumcision and more than that, there are advantages to having it done on the eighth day. You have to realize that there is only a single 24-hour period in my life where that could have been accomplished at the proper time and taking that right away from my parents would create a whole new set of problems.

The real conflicts on this issue are caused by the same thing that conflicts have always been caused by: greed—the type of greed that says, "I do what I want", or "my life is mine".

Having appeared on this earth, not having designed yourself or your body, not having any say as to the timing of your arrival or the method of your departure, would it not be wise for you to answer these fundamental questions first, without first trying to assert your own will upon the world?

I mean no offense to you at all. I respect you, but I also recoginize how harmful it is when people form opinions on subjects based on emotion rather than facts and research. This emotionally-based psudo-intellectual poise is a cause of every kind of problem among humans.

Study first: Assert opinions later. This process is function of the fine-but-far-too-often-lacking human attribute: humility.

As far as your position about having to read all the so-called religious documents in the world to know what the truth is...

This is a common debate tactic used to try and confuse opponents in a discussion through subtly-false logic. Except, I don't for a minute think you're attempting to use it that way. Instead, I believe you—having heard this propaganda before—actually believe it. (Actually, in a very deep way, it facilitates an easing of the conscience that leads to the attitude, "I do what I want".)

Do I, desiring to know a birch tree, study every other tree in the world?

Do I, desiring to identify counterfeit money, study every counterfeit ever made?

No.

I find a real birch tree or real money and I know it well. Then I will readily identify everything that is NOT.

For my own deepening education and to help others who fall into these traps, I have read many other religious documents (you'd be surprised). Some in part. Some in whole. I have found these other documents to be exactly what the Bible claims them to be, whether explicitly or implicitly. There is simply no other book in the world like it. If you put in your time, you may just find how true this is.

But the final conclusion I have arrived at, after putting in my time at study is, the Bible is indeed exactly what it claims to be, and those who deny it fall into the all-too-common yet self-induced traps of:

- Emotionalism, which amounts to obeying or self worship of the soul;

- Lazyness; which amounts to obeying or self worship of the body; or

- Pride; which amounts to the obeying of the desire for the worship of others.

If we are to solve the problems related to circumcision errors, we must find the source of the errors without removing yet another right we all possess, which will do nothing more than create a new set of problems.

If we are ever forced to vaccinate in the United States, it will be under the identical philosophy with which you condemn circumcision.

Study.