Hello again Lee. You wrote:

LL> Jewish males are missing a piece of foreskin. Christian males are missing
LL> a piece of foreskin. Muslim males are missing a piece of foreskin. Is
LL> that what makes a Jewish male a Jew? Or a Christian male a Christian? Or
LL> a Muslim male a Muslim? What about males who have not had that bit of
LL> flesh removed? Are they damned? What about females?

Lee, in matters of Salvation, physical circumcision is a moot point and is
absolutely meaningless. It simply has no bearing on our spiritual status
with God. The Apostle Paul very clearly noted that physical circumcision is
not a requirement for Salvation. All that matters is faith in Jesus Christ.
In fact, as you may already know, Paul repeatedly warned the early Christian
disciples to beware of false Jewish brethren who had crept into their midst,
in order try to convince new Christian converts that circumcision was
necessary for their Salvation. I amply discuss this issue in a number of my
articles. Please carefully consider these verses:

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love."
Galatians 5:6, KJV

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creature."
Galatians 6:15, KJV

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his
deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the
image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but
Christ is all, and in all."
Colossians 3:9-11, KJV

"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision,
which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and
circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God."
Romans 2:28-29, KJV

"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision."
Philippians 3:2, KJV

"Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able
by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there
are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the
circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses,
teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."
Titus 1:9-11, KJV

When those false Jewish brethren tried to convince the new Christian
disciples in Galatia that circumcision was still necessary, consider what
Paul wrote to the Galatian brethren. He strongly rebuked them:

"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the
truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit
by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye
suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain."
Galatians 3:1-4, KJV

When Peter returned to Jerusalem after visiting with Paul, the circumcised
Jews criticized Peter for eating with uncircumcised Gentiles:

"And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles
had also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem,
they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest
in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them."
Acts 11:1-3, KJV

But look how the meeting in Jerusalem in Acts 15 turned out. The Church
Elders in Jerusalem agreed that circumcision was not necessary for Salvation
for the new Gentile converts to Christianity:

"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke [meaning circumcision] upon
the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to
bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we
shall be saved, even as they."
Acts 15:10-11, KJV

The Biblical conclusion, regarding circumcision, or any other physical act
to try to save ourselves, is simply this: They are all self-righteous works
which do us absolutely no good whatsoever insofar as our Salvation is
concerned:

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law."
Romans 3:28, KJV

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn
ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be
in bondage?"
Galatians 4:9, KJV

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;"
Titus 3:5, KJV

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of
Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
Romans 7:4, KJV


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