I would say that circumcision would be defacing the temple...Right???
From a certain perspective...
Nose rings, tattoos etc etc etc, seem to not be so much a sin, but more of a distraction, and distractions are things that God doesn’t want for us...
So it is kind of a toss up...Do we differ to his teachings, or do we judge others on outward appearances, and therefore be judged ourselves??? Which is obviously an outcome anyway...
To me this entire thread is one of the best discussions this year, on this website...
It is very eclectic, yet revealing to all participants to their level of comforts, and their prejudices...
I haven’t seen discussion. I’ve read statements that read like journals from Puritan times. Discussion? Nope.
And, no it isn’t close to being a discussion from many posters. Far too many are afraid of voicing their opinions, just like in real life. In real life we have the liberal Nazis and here we have the so called conservatives.
Although circumcision was authorized by God and only later did it become optional. It’s also very private.
Perhaps, we agree. It’s totally wrong to state that even the most tattooed or pierced face is beyond the Atonement of Jesus Christ, at least for Christians.
That said, we must still judge. A person who alters their natural normal appearance is making a statement about themselves, their insecurities, and their mental state. Your face is your billboard to the world and advertises a lot about you. You can write “I love you” and it has one connotation. Face to face you can say it with a sneer and it has another.
It sounds like for too many it’s an either or situation when it is not. She can be a Christian, but her adornment is Christ. If you read the article it also appears that she would have had sex outside marriage with at least two guys she’d known, but didn’t. So it isn’t God’s laws that are keeping her from being unchaste, but just the opportunity with the “right guy”.
The message we send about ourselves attracts or repels a certain kind of person. Despite appearances, I work to be Christlike to everyone I meet, but it would be foolish not to make judgements. Godliness is the goal, but this is still the Devil’s world.
If you were to advise a young person on whether or not to get tattooed or pierced (other than a single piercing for a woman) what would you advise?