Why do some Catholics circumcise?

[Yakov]

I am an observant Jew and wonder why some Catholics are circumcised. Our (Jewish) Oral Law (Maimonides, RamBam L’Am, Sefer Ahavah, Chapter Three, Paragraph Seven) expressly forbids the circumcision of non-Jews. For one thing, this mixes up the Jews with the non-Jews. We Jews want to know who we are, and I presume that non-Jews want to know too. This is a sure-fire method for separating us Jews from the non-Jews. Circumcision of only Jews would help prevent an identity crisis among young men and boys as to whether they are or are not Jewish. (If you think this is not possible, I went through this identity crisis myself. I am now Jewish.)

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Some Catholics choose to circumcise their sons for cultural or aesthetic reasons. For example, many Americans (Catholics and others) still circumcise their sons today so that the child will resemble his father or his peers. In recent decades, the trend is changing, with many deciding that such reasons are insufficient for that kind of surgical procedure. In any case, the bottom line is that Catholics do not circumcise for religious reasons because they believe that baptism has replaced circumcision for Christians.

As for Jewish law on the matter, Jewish law binds only Jews. It does not bind Muslims (who circumcise for religious reasons) or Christians (who sometimes circumcise for non-religious reasons). While circumcision is indeed an important identity marker for Jewish men, non-Jews are not bound in conscience to forego the procedure when they believe it is necessary.