Circumcision and Slavery!

Gen 17 10-14

 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.  He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

 God makes a covenant with Abraham (formerly Abram), and demands that the members of his tribe/group be circumcised.  Well, if extremely painful childbirth, genocide, and animal sacrifice weren't enough, now we have penile mutilation.  Lovely.

 Oh yes, and slavery.  In no uncertain terms, God lends his support for the buying and selling of human beings.  Glad to know Jesus was there all along too, and said not one word in protest.  Thanks, Jesus.  Sadly, we're still not rid of that deplorable institution, but good to know God had no problems with it. 

At the risk of repetition, I feel as I should keep a tally (though not an entire one) of the horrendous record of this abominable god. Here goes:

1.  Imposition of unconscionable pain on innocent women in childbirth

2.  Drowning of innumerable men, women, children, animals, and their young by choice

3.  Dispersion  and confusion of innocent Men by forcing upon them different languages to inhibit them from achieving peaceful social, economic, technological advancement

4.  Sending plagues upon innocent Egyptians for Abram's deceit

5.  Requiring the slaughter of innocent animals for mere sacrificial rite

6.  Requiring the mutilation of infant genitalia

7.  Endorsing slavery

This book is an exercise in desensitization to cruelty to living things.