Editing Castration (section)

===Christianity===
In the [[Gospel of Matthew]], [[Jesus of Nazareth]] mentions castration in a discussion about avoiding adultery and divorce that some are involuntarily castrated or born that way, while some others "make themselves eunuchs" willingly out of a desire to be chaste ({{bibleverse||Matthew|19:1–12|KJV}}). Given Jesus' frequent use of metaphor and hyperbole, e.g. {{bibleverse||Luke|9:62|KJV}}, the Catholic Church has broadly discouraged any understanding of this passage as recommending literal "self-castration". That is consistent with Jesus' claims (as a rabbi) to uphold the Law given to Moses, e.g. {{bibleverse||Matthew|5:17|KJV}}, a Law which also discouraged literal castration {{bibleverse||Deut|23:1|KJV}}. However, in his own comments Jesus had no condemnation for any of the above. In {{bibleverse||Acts|8:34–8:39|KJV}}, a eunuch is baptized by [[Philip the Evangelist]], demonstrating acceptance of castrated individuals in his church.

The first canon of the [[First Council of Nicaea]] in 325 AD forbade clergy members to voluntarily castrate themselves "when in perfect health", but freely accepted those who had been either castrated by others against their will, castrated due to a medical sickness or necessity, or those born as eunuchs.

Paul, arguing against self-righteousness regarding [[circumcision]] in {{bibleverse||Galatians|5:12|KJV}}, says "As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!" ([[New International Version|NIV]])

Well-known Christian eunuchs (or alleged eunuchs) include:
* [[Origen]], who is reported by [[Church History (Eusebius)|Eusebius]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.xi.viii.html |title=NPNF2-01. Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine |publisher=Ccel.org |date=13 July 2005}}</ref> to have castrated himself based on his reading of the [[Gospel of Matthew]] {{bibleverse-nb||Matthew|19:12|}} and other passages in Matthew and Mark that appear to endorse voluntary amputation to avoid sin, although there is some doubt concerning this story. [[Philip Schaff|Schaff]] considers the account genuine but cites [[Ferdinand Christian Baur|Baur]] ''et al.'' in opposition.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.xi.viii.html Eusebius' Church History Book 6, Chapter 8 Origen's Daring Deed] note 1809: "This act of Origen's has been greatly discussed, and some have even gone so far as to believe that he never committed the act ... There is no reason, however, to doubt the report, for which we have unimpeachable testimony, and which is in itself not at all surprising ..."</ref> Origen argues against such literal interpretations of the passages from Matthew and Mark in his First Principles.
* Bishop [[Melito of Sardis]] (d. ''ca'' 180), who was a [[eunuch]], according to the church history of [[Eusebius of Caesarea]], though, significantly the word "virgin" was substituted in [[Tyrannius Rufinus|Rufinus]]' Latin translation of Eusebius.
* [[Boston Corbett]], who was inspired by this same verse {{bibleverse-nb||Matthew|19:12|}} to castrate himself (Corbett was the 19th-century American soldier who is generally believed to have fired the shot that killed [[John Wilkes Booth]]).
* [[Skoptsy]], a branch of the Russian [[Spiritual Christianity]] movement founded in the 1760s.