Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Boro Nut · 02-08-2005, 03:28 PM

Why are creationists wasting their time looking for a non-existent ark when there is every possibility that there is a genuine lump of god knocking about in the vicinity of Nazareth/Bethlehem?

I can't imagine anybody thought to keep his foreskin when they chopped it off. They didn't know he was a messiah until he was in his thirties, and didn't realise he was God until about 100 years after that. So why would you keep his foreskin?

They probably just lobbed it out of the window. And I can't imagine it would burn or rot away either if it was the genuine article. I don't recall anyone mentioning it ascending to heaven after his resurrection either, and he wouldn't have any need for it anyway. On balance of all the available evidence it is extremely likely that it is still there.

So why don't they just identify the house Jesus lived in (there will be a blue plaque) and funnel all their resources into digging about in the garden a bit? We will all have egg on our faces when they start laying it on sick lepers again even if they do tell them to fuck off. They’re like that lepers. Right ungrateful sods they are.

Perhaps the Pope could wear it on his finger. He could do miracles just by pointing, and he could let people kiss it. It sounds a lot more hygienic than kissing his ring. That must stink at his age.

Boro Nut

Mageth · 02-08-2005, 03:30 PM

Umm, there are several of the cute little things scattered across Europe...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Prepuce

I find this bit particularly interesting:

Quote:

According to a 17th century theologian, the foreskin may have divinely ascended to become the rings of Saturn.

And then there's the Holy Umbilical Cord:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Umbilical_Cord

Boro Nut · 02-08-2005, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mageth

Umm, there are several of the cute little things scattered across Europe...

Well I never!!!

I have 4 kids, so that's obviously not true.

Boro Nut

gregor2 · 02-08-2005, 06:23 PM

You remember T2 when the new model Terminator would absorb any portion of his body that was blown off. I picture Jesus walking outside, touching the foreskin with his toe, and it is absorbed into his body.

Godfather · 02-08-2005, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregor2

You remember T2 when the new model Terminator would absorb any portion of his body that was blown off. I picture Jesus walking outside, touching the foreskin with his toe, and it is absorbed into his body.

Will he still be circumsized? Or will it grow back? :huh:

I. C. Unicorns · 02-08-2005, 10:15 PM

In this case, think about all the Holy Crap lying around Bethlehem. I'm logging onto eBay now!

richard2 · 02-09-2005, 01:56 AM

Next on the History Channel ... the search for Jesus' 2000 year old foreskin!

Israel must be like the groundzero of foreskins, though. When they do find some old skins, I suppose the "scientists" will have to conduct several rigorous tests. Can you carbon-date a foreskin?

Here's a good article that has the "skinny" of the matter: http://atheism.about.com/od/aboutjes...lyforeskin.htm

Wayne P · 02-09-2005, 05:13 AM

From Wikipedia article linked by Mageth

Quote:

The modern, peri'ah style of circumcision did not become the standard mode until around the time of the revolt led by Simon bar Kokhba in AD 132–135, whereas the style of circumcision practised by Jews in Judea prior to bar Kokhba removed only the 'tip' of the foreskin, not all of it.

Could someone help me out here? I don't understand what they mean by 'tip'. If it's just the tip of the foreskin wouldn't that leave a lot of foreskin left? Jews up til this point were embarassed by their circumcision, explaining one of their dislikes of the gynasium. If only the tip was taken off wouldn't they, for the most part, still look uncircumcised? Would it have been that easy to tell?

openeyes · 02-09-2005, 05:27 AM

What's usually done with the foreskin if it's trimmed during a religious ceremony? Is it dried out and place in the baby book? There must be a custom for disposal or keeping. Of course, from a quick browse from some of the links presented, the custom now and the custom then may be different.

I wonder if we can extract DNA from said available relics? I'd be curious to see if Jesus had a Y-chromosome or just what sort of DNA he had since we know his supposed conception was unique.

Found this from a quick Google search from this site :

Quote:

Q: What is traditionally done with the excised foreskin? A: The foreskin is an object that has been part of a mitzvah, and similar to an unusable Torah scroll or tefillin, it requires burial. A garbage disposal is not dignified and considered a disgraceful place to throw away an object of God’s imperative.

Maybe it was known at the time that Jesus' foreskin was special, and it wasn't buried, but kept to excite future generations.

Anat · 02-09-2005, 07:29 AM

There is a tradition that the Messiah will be born without a foreskin. My youngest brother indeed didn't have one from birth, which caused some merriment in the family for a while.

Wayne, I thought peri'ah dated to Hellenist times. When hellenized Jews started participating in nude sporting events they started tugging at the remainder of their foreskins to restore the missing bit to fit in with the other athletes, so peri'ah was instituted to make that impossible (or at least, more difficult).

02-08-2005, 03:28 PM	#1
Boro Nut Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Middlesbrough, England Posts: 3,909	What Happened to Jesus' Foreskin? Why are creationists wasting their time looking for a non-existent ark when there is every possibility that there is a genuine lump of god knocking about in the vicinity of Nazareth/Bethlehem? I can't imagine anybody thought to keep his foreskin when they chopped it off. They didn't know he was a messiah until he was in his thirties, and didn't realise he was God until about 100 years after that. So why would you keep his foreskin? They probably just lobbed it out of the window. And I can't imagine it would burn or rot away either if it was the genuine article. I don't recall anyone mentioning it ascending to heaven after his resurrection either, and he wouldn't have any need for it anyway. On balance of all the available evidence it is extremely likely that it is still there. So why don't they just identify the house Jesus lived in (there will be a blue plaque) and funnel all their resources into digging about in the garden a bit? We will all have egg on our faces when they start laying it on sick lepers again even if they do tell them to fuck off. They’re like that lepers. Right ungrateful sods they are. Perhaps the Pope could wear it on his finger. He could do miracles just by pointing, and he could let people kiss it. It sounds a lot more hygienic than kissing his ring. That must stink at his age. Boro Nut

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02-08-2005, 06:23 PM	#4
gregor2 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: texas Posts: 86	You remember T2 when the new model Terminator would absorb any portion of his body that was blown off. I picture Jesus walking outside, touching the foreskin with his toe, and it is absorbed into his body.

02-08-2005, 10:15 PM	#6
I. C. Unicorns Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San José, Calif. Posts: 2,796	In this case, think about all the Holy Crap lying around Bethlehem. I'm logging onto eBay now!

02-09-2005, 01:56 AM	#7
richard2 Regular Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: The Nox Planet Posts: 438	Next on the History Channel ... the search for Jesus' 2000 year old foreskin! Israel must be like the groundzero of foreskins, though. When they do find some old skins, I suppose the "scientists" will have to conduct several rigorous tests. Can you carbon-date a foreskin? Here's a good article that has the "skinny" of the matter: http://atheism.about.com/od/aboutjes...lyforeskin.htm

02-09-2005, 07:29 AM	#10
Anat Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: home Posts: 3,715	There is a tradition that the Messiah will be born without a foreskin. My youngest brother indeed didn't have one from birth, which caused some merriment in the family for a while. Wayne, I thought peri'ah dated to Hellenist times. When hellenized Jews started participating in nude sporting events they started tugging at the remainder of their foreskins to restore the missing bit to fit in with the other athletes, so peri'ah was instituted to make that impossible (or at least, more difficult).

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