Results: Jesus Christ was circumcised as a Jew on the 8th day after his birth. Until 1960 the Catholic church celebrated the day as Circumcision Day. In medieval times the holy foreskin was worshipped in many European churches.
Luke 2:21: “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (KJV-BRG). At first glance, this scripture reads as ordinary, commonplace and without particular significance.
Born as a Jew, Jesus Christ was circumcised, and was depicted as such in numerous paintings, sculptures and manuscripts. In the Catholic church Circumcision Day was celebrated on January 1 until 1960. However, Christianity did not condone the practice of this rite but changed it to a new sacrament, that of baptism.
The circumcision of Jesus has traditionally been seen, as explained in the popular 14th-century work the Golden Legend, as the first time the blood of Christ was shed, and thus the beginning of the process of the redemption of man, and a demonstration that Christ was fully human, and of his obedience to Biblical law.
And as the story goes, according to historical documents, the pope at the time eventually ruled that fate has made this very important relic find its home in this village of Calcata, so it shall remain there." The church that housed the holy foreskin is called Chiesa del SS.
In The Gospel According To Jesus Christ, José Saramago writes that anyone "wishing to venerate that foreskin today need only visit the parish church of Calcata near Viterbo in Italy, where it is preserved in a reliquary for the spiritual benefit of the faithful and the amusement of prying atheists."
Once he fell on his face, the Holy One, blessed be He, indicated that place, and a scorpion bit him there. Forthwith, Abraham found himself circumcised.
Christianity and circumcision
Circumcision is not laid down as a requirement in the New Testament. Instead, Christians are urged to be "circumcised of the heart" by trusting in Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. As a Jew, Jesus was himself circumcised (Luke 2:21; Colossians 2:11-12).
According to the Hebrew Bible, circumcision was enjoined upon the biblical patriarch Abraham, his descendants and their slaves as "a token of the covenant" concluded with him by God for all generations, as an "everlasting covenant".
The biblical explanation for this commandment states quite clearly that the circumcision acts as an outward physical sign of the eternal covenant between God and the Jewish people.
Male circumcision is the oldest known human surgical procedure, with historical records and archeological evidence dating the practice back to ancient Egyptians in the 23rd century BCE [1].
St Luke describes it: “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21). The circumcision of Christ has an interesting origin and symbolism.
Why is Christianity the only Abrahamic religion that doesn't encourage circumcision? Because Paul believed faith was more important than foreskin. Shortly after Jesus' death, his followers had a disagreement over the nature of his message.
In the Torah, God commands Abraham to undergo circumcision at age 99, as part of a covenant between Him and generations of Jews to come. "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and thy descendants after thee, every male among you shall be circumcised.
Certainly, the practice of male circumcision has ancient origins. The Greek historian Herodotus recorded the practice in Egypt in 5th century BC, and in the Semitic tradition, male circumcision is linked to a covenant with God dating back to Abraham.
European countries consider newborn circumcision an unnecessary surgical procedure which increases the costs of operating nationalised health systems, whereas in the US, circumcision is generally considered a simple, rapid operation with medical benefits which accrue throughout life.
Circumcision is the most common surgery among males. In the United States, up to 60% of baby boys are circumcised. Around the world, the rate is about 33% of males. The highest rates of circumcision are in the U.S., Middle East and South Korea.
Even though mainstream Christian denominations does not require circumcision, it is commonly practiced in many predominantly Christian countries and many Christian communities.
For Muslims, male circumcision is performed for religious reasons, mainly to follow the sunnah (practice) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Moreover, there are attempts to label it as a contributor to cleanliness / personal hygiene.
Warning Against Circumcision
2 Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.
Circumcision ranks among the world's most common surgeries (and one of the oldest). After its removal, most foreskin is tossed as biological waste — but when they're kept around, the leftover cells have proven a vital asset to medical research.
According to some health experts, the foreskin is the floppy disk of the male anatomy, a once-important flap of skin that no longer serves much purpose. But the foreskin also has many fans, who claim it still serves important protective, sensory and sexual functions. “Every mammal has a foreskin,” says Dr.
Circumcision rates around the world
Circumcision is also standard in the United States and parts of Southeast Asia and Africa, but is rare in Europe, Latin America, and most of Asia.
Others have gone further, claiming that circumcision has been condemned explicitly by the Church and criticizing IMC as "mutilation" and, hence, prohibited implicitly by Catholic moral principles.