Blood Retribution For Sin?

Below is a question that was proposed on the Facebook WCG Survivors page.  He asks a valid question that more and more Christians are also looking into.

Born-again Atheist

Hello, as a person who has committed his mind to being governed by reason, I have a few objective observations about Christianity, and would like to pose questions for the consideration of Christians who also seek rational thought. These questions are NOT meant to offend or bring vitriol, only to spark rational, respectful discussion.

My first question: Why is it NECESSARY for an ALL-POWERFUL god to take human life in RETRIBUTION for sin? Why could that god not simply forgive sin IN THE FIRST PLACE, WITHOUT demanding human sacrifice (OR a substitute for it)?

The interesting thread is here:  Reasonable Questions for Your Consideration

Cutting It Off...

Spanky Meredith and Dr. Bob were captured recently discussing circumcision:

The Prophet Thiel is ecstatic that the California Governor signed into law that circumcision cannot be banned in the state:

http://www.cogwriter.com/news/church-history/california-permanently-legalizes-ancient-practice-of-circumcision/

Some of Dr. Bob's desire to cut it off is based upon this excuse:

The early 20^th century theologian J.J.L. Ratton reported:

The early Church at Jerusalem, retained most of the distinctive customs of the Jews, such as circumcision, kosher meats, the Jewish Sabbath, the Jewish rites, and worship of the Temple. Our Lord, Himself, lived the exterior life of a Jew, even so far as the observance of Jewish religious customs was concerned. The early Church of Jerusalem followed His example. The Jews looked upon the Hebrew Christians in Jerusalem simply as a Jewish sect, which they called the sect of the Nazarenes. (Ratton JJL The Apocalypse of St. John: a commentary on the Greek text, 2^nd edition. R. & T. Washbourne, ltd., 1915. Original fromt he University of Michigan. Digitized Jun 12, 2007, p. 4)

But then those dirty, filthy pagan worshiping catholics came on the scene and circumcision was done away with:

Now, it should be mentioned that in the second century, non-Nazarene professors of Christ, like the heretic Justin, did not practice circumcision.

One of the inquisitors in the Middle Ages found that a certain type of “heretic” (in his mind) uniformly observed the Sabbath and sometimes (though apparently not always) observed circumcision (Davis, Tamar. A General History of the Sabbatarian Churches. 1851; Reprinted 1995 by Commonwealth Publishing, Salt Lake City, p. 88).

Thus, it seems that circumcision was (and still is) often practiced by many trying to be faithful Christians. And because of “Judeo-Christian influence” (like from the Bible), this may be why there have always been a relatively high proportion of circumcised males in the USA (though this may be changing).

While the Bible does not list health benefits that come from circumcision, it would make sense that the Creator of the universe would only recommend physical practices that were beneficial for His human creation.

Those damn Catholics!  Where were they when Moses needed them?