Helmet...or Anteater?
New studies have conclusive data that shows there is no question that circumcision reduces HIV risk by up to 60 percent - a finding experts are hailing as a major breakthrough in fighting AIDS.
According to the Torah, the origination of the custom of eliminating the foreskin in male newborns came from the story of Abraham and Isaac, and was mandated by G-d as a sign of his covenant with the Jewish people.
Once again, proof that much of what is in the Bible makes practical as well as spiritual sense and that G-d really knew what He was doing...
Money Quote: `Spirituality is useless if it isn't practical' - Yogananda
You you visit associatedcontent.com and search for circumcision, you will find articles advocating making male circumcision a crime, such as with female genital mutilation. They claim that there are no benefits to male circumcision, and are trying to put it on the same level as FGM.
ReplyDeleteLindsey
Spirituality has its benefits, but practicality is not usually one of them. This circumcission story is an unlikely coincidence of old-time religion being compatible with modern science.
ReplyDeleteI think, if one wants to make a generall analyzation of spirituality's "practicallity", one should also examine staunchly religious folks' opposition to things like the teaching of evolution, stem-cell research, etc. These things are all very practical and have great potential to help people.
And let's not overlook the countless silly rituals that different religions compel their followers to abide by. For example, when Catholics go up to the pulpit for their bread and wine, they are told by the priest that they are eating and drinking the body of Jeses Christ, and they really believe it! It's harmless, but I see no practicality in this.
To give another example, in the Islamic and Christian religions, usury is prohibited. This is one of the reasons why the Muslim world is in the state it is today. In Europe, Jews did most of the business transactions until Christians got over their hang-ups...and became practical.
This isn't intended as a diatribe against religions, but simply to point out that practicality and spirituality aren't usually compatible.