Circumcision of male newborns

[chosen_people]

I think God has something to say about sexual activity, but circumcision has nothing to do with it.

If everyone were following the Catholic Church’s (God’s) rules on sexual conduct, they wouldn’t be spreading sexually transmitted HIV. There would be the times when someone gets it in a blood transfusion and spreads it to the spouse, but the couple wouldn’t transmit it (sexually) to anyone else.

On your guess that we should routinely circumcise infants because they don’t need the foreskin unless they’re walking through tall grass is way off - We don’t “need” our appendixes either, and having one can be deadly. Still, we don’t routinely remove the appendix from our infants.

We don’t “need” our body hair, but we don’t routinely shave ourselves simply because we don’t need fur.

We don’t “need” two eyes. People get along fine with just one. We don’t pluck the other out.

How far down can you pare the human body and still function? Pretty darned far.

Circumcision is cultural not functional. The fact that many see it as “extra” is irrelevant.

And is it really about tall grasses? Don’t the tribes that wear very little circumcise their boys at puberty? Not to be too indelicate, but I think the motive behind circumcision is to attract females. A circumcised penis looks like an erect penis. Putting a religious (God’s covenant) spin on the practice may legitimize it to some, but I strongly doubt that that’s how circumcision got started.

Not to mention that:

If God wanted us to fly he would have given us wings

If all men used condoms there would be no transmission of AIDS or other STDs

If no one ever engaged in premarital or extramarital sex there would be no STDs (well actually fewer since the foreskin accounts for transmission of certain diseases like certain types of cancer)

If we refused to receive blood transfusions as do JW’s we could not contract AIDS through blood transfusions

If Catholics didn’t feel they were born with “original sin” they wouldn’t get baptized

If Christians followed God’s commandment to not eat pork they would not risk Trichinosis

In the end:

We Jews only care that we are free to follow God’s commandments and keep our eternal covenant with God (see for instance the background for the Bar Kochba revolt). God commanded us and that is enough for us.

Besides we’ve been having this argument since the Hellenistic era.

 

[kalt]

Not to mention that:

If God wanted us to fly he would have given us wings

If all men used condoms there would be no transmission of AIDS or other STDs

If no one ever engaged in premarital or extramarital sex there would be no STDs (well actually fewer since the foreskin accounts for transmission of certain diseases like certain types of cancer)

If we refused to receive blood transfusions as do JW’s we could not contract AIDS through blood transfusions

If Catholics didn’t feel they were born with “original sin” they wouldn’t get baptized

If Christians followed God’s commandment to not eat pork they would not risk Trichinosis

In the end:

We Jews only care that we are free to follow God’s commandments and keep our eternal covenant with God (see for instance the background for the Bar Kochba revolt). God commanded us and that is enough for us.

Besides we’ve been having this argument since the Hellenistic era.

I don’t know where you get your information on HIV/AIDS, but it’s not true that if all men used condoms there would be no transmission.

And, still, the tall grass theory falls flat.

Snip away if that’s your thing. I’m not for or against it. It’s just that the tall grass argument is such nonsense that I had to respond (And the condom/no AIDS transmission argument, too.)

 

[kalt]

I guess I’ll be the first to say it… I think a uncircumcised penis is Ugly, I’m so glad that I was circumcised, plus it’s so much cleaner, this whole idea about not getting circumcised must have come from atheists who want to do everything opposite of God’s way.

Why are you looking?

Italian Catholic immigrants in the US didn’t routinely circumcised their infant boys. The atheist theory will have to join the tall grass theory.

 

[chosen_people]

I don’t know where you get your information on HIV/AIDS, but it’s not true that if all men used condoms there would be no transmission.

And, still, the tall grass theory falls flat.

Snip away if that’s your thing. I’m not for or against it. It’s just that the tall grass argument is such nonsense that I had to respond (And the condom/no AIDS transmission argument, too.)

The two most effective ways to prevent the spread of heterosexual AIDS that is literally killing thousands upon thousands in the African continent is male circumcision and use of condoms. Now even if the Catholic Church is against the use of condoms (I won’t argue the morality of this stance so please spare me the “science” behind the objection to condoms in the prevention of AIDS), surely the Vatican can have no objection to and should be encouraging male circumcision to prevent the spread of this horrid disease.

 

[kalt]

The two most effective ways to prevent the spread of heterosexual AIDS that is literally killing thousands upon thousands in the African continent is male circumcision and use of condoms. Now even if the Catholic Church is against the use of condoms (I won’t argue the morality of this stance so please spare me the “science” behind the objection to condoms in the prevention of AIDS), surely the Vatican can have no objection to and should be encouraging male circumcision to prevent the spread of this horrid disease.

“If all men used condoms there would be no transmission of AIDS or other STDs”

This was your claim in the earlier post. It’s inaccurate. Worse, it gives those who don’t know any better the idea that if they use a condom, they will not transmit or be infected with the AIDS virus. False. False. False.

The “Vatican” isn’t in the medical business. The admonition about condoms has nothing to do with health. It’s about the sex act itself.

If you want to argue the health benefits of promoting condoms and circumcision vs promoting the Catholic teaching on sex, the CC teaching comes out way, way ahead.

While the statement “If all men used condoms there would be no transmission of AIDS or other STDs” is false, “If all people followed the Church’s teaching on sex, there would be next to no sexual transmission of AIDS.” is true. (There could be sexual transmission from one spouse to the other after a blood transfusion.)

At any rate, everyone is free to do as they choose. Snip or don’t. It’s no one’s business.

 

[NewAgeCatholic]

Peace be with you!

I understand that you are strongly opposed to male circumcision but please let us remain civil and stop referring to circumcision as an “ancient barbaric ritual”, I find it offensive when people call our tradition of circumcision as barbaric, I feel like you’re calling the rest of the 80 million Filipino men barbarians. I don’t think that circumcision was brought about by the fear or lack of bathing. The Sultanate of Manila was founded near rivers and seashores like most of the other villages and towns of the old days so they have access to clean waters, in fact Spanish chronicles noted that most Filipinos were excellent swimmers and bathed at least twice a day, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon. And as I mentioned earlier, it’s a Rite of Manhood.

Also I wouldn’t think that God will allow Abraham and his descendants to practice circumcision if it were barbaric. Again please stop calling circumcision barbaric because it’s offensive to those people who practice it as part of their culture/tradition.

God Bless!

As to the act and Jewish performing it for thousands of years, that is their ancient tradition and part of their religion and they perform it on infants in the Bris cerimony. Is it brutal and unnecessary in my personal opinion? Yes. It’s not for me to say that it is to tell them it is wrong.

If a Filipino has it done to become a man by a certain age, it’s up to that family’s tradition I suppose.
If they think having a tattoo on the penis is even more a sign of becoming a man, who am I to say it is wrong. If they have an anchor tattooed on their shoulder, who am I say it is wrong. To each their own. There are some tribes in Africa that have circumcised females, and some stretch their necks with necklaces over time and cut their mouths and put plates in their lips. Why??? because of the tradition. Different strokes for different folks. I’m just asking as to how everyone feels about circumcision and whether it is part of their religion.