Thought I'd chime in on the circumcision issue.

My view on circumcision and just about every other law can be explained with pigs.

I love bacon and ham and pork. But over the years I wondered whether there might be something in the dietary laws that Yahweh gave the Israelites.

Over the years I've learned a few things about pigs:

[1] New mutations of the flu (which is basically every new flu each year) occur because of the transition between birds->pigs->humans. If humans didn't live near pigs then we wouldn't have the flu.

[2] Pigs have a very similar biology to humans which means that parasites that infect pigs readily infect humans.

[3] I was talking to a butcher friend the other day and he said that if you nick yourself on a lamb or beef bone it probably won't get infected but if you nick yourself on a pig's bone it will get infected.

I'm not saying we should use these three reasons to never eat pig, or use them to wholeheartedly believe in the law. Instead what I'm saying is that perhaps there is wisdom in the law that we aren't aware of yet. Over time I find more and more wisdom in the law.

A recent health issue has been mold, there are sections in the law on removing mold and mildew from homes.

I don't believe that we are under the law. However, if I was going to choose between the wisdom of the law or the wisdom of modern science, I think God's law has more runs on the board. When the Israelites left Egypt not one was sick and there was like a million of them.

On the topic of circumcision, I'm very interested to hear both sides of the argument. If there are dangers involved then I want to hear about them. But if I have to choose between God's wisdom and man's, I pray I choose God's.

I pray you guys feel better soon,

Jolon.

(btw - I'm from Australia and circumcision is not uncommon, so it's not just an American thing.)