Hello everyone. As you probably know by now, Avigail is pregnant. The good news is that it is going to be a girl.
This got me thinking on the question, what would have happened if it was a boy? More specifically... circumcision. What reasons are there to perform a circumcision? Although I am of a Jewish heritage, I am a complete atheist. As an atheist Jew I choose which holidays and Jewish costums to celebrate. I think that heritage alone is not a sufficient reason to do... well... you know what. Medically speaking, all big medical organizations agree that there is no medical advantage to circumcision. Some medical benefits do exist, but they are countered by the possibility of an infection and other problems due to the act of circumcision itself. Some atheist friends I talked, to told me that they circumsized their kid mainly to avoid social problems for the kid as he grows up. Is that a sufficient reason? What if the kid is fat, or slow, or a wiseass? Let's admit it, my boy runs a high risk of growing up to be a bit of a geek, he will have his share of social problems anyhow. What about the girls? Will they agree to go out with him (assuming he is into girls)? Is a girl that disqualifies a boy on basis of his being circumsized or not worth the hassle? Maybe by the time he grows up we will live in Europe where less than 20% of males are circumsized?
Well... as I said, the good news is that it is a girl, so I can forget about this bug mess for now...
bye
Amir
2 תגובות:
Are you aware that there are Jewish people who are openly against circumcision? See:
http://www.circumcision.org
and
http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/
I think it is quite interesting that many of the more recent books about circumcision have been written by Jewish authors- Marked in Your Flesh: Circumcision from Ancient Judea to America
by Leonard B. Glick
Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective
by Ronald Goldman, Ph.D.
Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma by Ronald Goldman, Ph.D.
Circumcision- An American Health Fallacy by Edward Wallerstein
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Circumcision by Paul Fleiss, M.D.
It's good that you are questioning this practice, and congratulations on the upcoming birth of your daughter.
Not all Jewish people believe in circumcision anyway. Brit Shalom is an alternative naming ceremony to celebrate the birth of baby boys to Jewish families. These sites are all run by Jewish people opposed to circumcision:
http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/
http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/
http://www.circumcision.org/
(I know I'm repeating two links that the other guy posted, but these are clickable for your optimal internet enjoyment :-)
Good luck with the baby, but if you have another and it turns out to be a boy, give him the choice of whether or not he wants part of his equipment cut off. It's his body after all.
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