You’d think the Germans would have more respect for Jewish religious traditions, you know, considering that whole Holocaust thing. Which is why I was shocked to hear that the country outlawed circumcision this week even for religious purposes.
I told a friend who grew up in Germany about this, and she said it didn’t surprise her. Her exact words were, “No one gets circumcised in Germany ... there are nude beaches, and well, you see things. And I can tell you circumcision is very uncommon.”
I understand that circumcision is not necessary, and that the growing trend in the United States is to leave baby boys intact. Only about a third of boys born here are now without foreskin. As a mom to two daughters, it’s a decision my husband and I have never had to make, but I can imagine it can be a difficult. Since I have no strong opinion on it one way or the other, I’d probably let Dad decide.
That’s a choice that I believe should belong to the parents, not the government. Not even San Francisco was crazy enough to actually ban circumcision. There are health pros and cons on both sides, and anyone that’s ever visited a parenting website knows that the debate can be hot, but ultimately, it comes down to mom and dad making the best decision they can for their son.
Sometimes the verdict of whether to cut or not is made by a couple’s religion. The most famous faith requiring circumcision is Judaism, which calls for a bris on a baby boy’s eighth day after birth. It’s a special ceremony, blessing and marking the child for God, and it’s really important in the Jewish faith. Boys aren’t even officially named until their bris.
For a government to come in and deny parents the right to act in accordance with their religious traditions is atrocious. This is about a simple procedure that has virtually no negative effects if performed in a sterile environment by a trained professional. It’s not like we’re talking about female circumcision that has brutal consequences for the poor girls that endure that torture. That I’m ok with banning.
Holm Putzke, a University of Passau jurist, told the Financial Times Deutschland (which broke the story), “As opposed to many politicians, the court was not deterred by fears of being criticized for anti-Semitism or hostility toward religion.”
Oh good, I’m glad to know they don’t care if they’re anti-Semites or not. You know who else didn’t care about being anti-Semitic? Hitler. Just saying.
Image via Public Domain Photos/Flickr
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Comments 196
Those who believe it is are ignorant and should do some quality research instead of just searching on-line documents that support what they already believe. I don't care if you circumcise your son or not, but do your homework before commenting.
You may want to take your own advice. Non-religious circumcision was started in the US as a way to prevent/stop masturbation and prevent "masturbation insanity". The Kellogg's cereal guy was actually a huge supporter of it and shared that belief. He promoted eating corn flakes as another way to stop masturbation. lol
Another note: There is actually a site called jewsagainstcircumcision.org. Just an interesting thought. I am also not Jewish so take this with a grain of salt. Someone told me this. Is it true that the original Jewish circumcision was just a pin-prick of blood from the penis? Not an entire removal of foreskin?
PROUD CIRC MOMMA HERE!!!! I watched babies be circ'd guess what they slept because it was so quick. These kids are not being tortured. They are not strapped down. I work in the medical field and again, I have witnessed it. I have also helped fix infected non circ'd men. And let me tell you, horrible horrible infection. So yup it was a no brainer for my husband and me when we had our boys. Non circs are more work in the long run, I put foleys in these men who don't pull back to clean so guess who does it? Me! White/yellow foul smelling cream. When those men hit elderly age they don't take care of themselves.
Don't bash women who choose to circ like I am not bashing those who choose not to. God you women have such balls to rip apart the choice of circing.
Um, this author really needs to educate herself about circumcision. There are absolutely NO "pros" for circumcision. I wonder if she has ever watched a YouTube video on circumcision. It is one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen. The infant was obviously in so much pain. And there are many negative side affects. How about a wound in a dirty diaper, risking infection? How about the intense pain? How about all the nerve endings being eliminated? And there are even some babies that DIE from blood loss. That is one risk I would never take, for the sake of cosmetic reasons.