Should Judaism abolish circumcision

Answer 1

YES Absolutely Circumcision is Genital mutilation No Less

Let us begin with the original reason for circumcision. Branding. Circumcision is a rite where by the parents of a child put their mark on it. It has nothing to do with that child's faith. it has everything to do with presumably setting that child apart from others. It is also claimed that circumcision was introduced to replace the sacrifice of male baby's to god by a fear driven population with a replacement blood rite. Whichever it or if it is both. Surely Humanity has reached a stage where it can rethink and understand that there is no excuse for tampering with the beauty of the newborn infant by crippling its sexuality, both physically and psychologically.

Tampering with any child's sexual organs by mutilating it whether that child be male or female A human rights issue.

According to the Jewish religion a Jew is a Jew whether he is circumcised or not. i\It is even possible to do the rite of circumcision after death if the deceased happens to not be circumcised. Circumcision is not a statement of the faith of the person circumcised it is simply those that are already converted acquiescing to religious instruction, Leaving their mark so to speak, Branding their children at a time when they, the children are powerless to resist. I am not permitted to put links on this page so I will simply direct you to Google the underlined references in your browser. Google "Jews against circumcision" They are a group of educated and enlightened Jews who realize that the barbaric, primitive, torturous, and mutilating practice of circumcision has no place in modern Judaism. Have you ever asked yourself why the vast majority of the world's doctors claim that circumcision should be considered genital mutilation? As it is against their financial interest to do so? More importantly though then simply the religious aspects of circumcision the suggestion that circumcision is beneficial to health (as opposed to religion) as is brought up to try and legitimize the practice. The truth is that there is no proven benefit to health as a result f circumcision available anywhere in the world. All of the so-called benefits that are stated above are simply made up with no credible evidence. Google the following phrase to gain a better insight into the harm done by circumcision

Google "Circumcision Information Resource Center" In conclusion any person that loves their child and wishes the best for it should not allow themselves to be intimidated by an ancient tradition or in the case of non-religious circumcision. Misinformation by licensed snake oil sales men into permitting their child to be irreparably mutilated. The Jew does not need to mutilate their infant's genitals as the infant can do so when he reaches the age of majority and can make informed decisions about his own body. The reasoning that he must be circumcised at 8 day does not hold up because there is an exemption relating to danger to health. Considering all of the cons regarding circumcision the danger to health including life and limb as well as psychological is very real and palpable. And any decision regarding the integrity of on individual's healthy penis and mind should not be forced upon them. By all means make the child a part of a tradition accepting him and welcoming him into family, the religious instruction and non-invasive tradition of religion however blood rituals that involve mutilating body parts Must be left to the individual involved. The medical and traditional wisdom of the world stands behind the physical integrity of the child and indeed the adult as well. The foreskin is a functioning and important part of the male anatomy and the amputation of it when it is healthy is a perversion that should be stamped out with the same fervor as is the case with Female genital mutilation

Answer 2

There are legal, ethical, and medical issues involved in this discussion. Some Jews are opposed to circumcision.

However, male circumcision is a key requirement of Judaism and those males who aren't circumcised, regardless of reason, are prohibited from participating in major aspects of Jewish life.

Answer 3

By no means. The origin of Jewish circumcision is in the Torah, which is the foundation of Judaism. God told Abraham "every male among you shall be circumcised" as part of the covenant between God and the Jewish people (Genesis ch.17).

Since that time, virtually all Jews have observed the command of circumcision for close to four millennia, even in times of religious persecution under the Greeks, Romans, Spaniards, and Soviets. Circumcision is the indelible sign of God's covenant and is just as important as Yom Kippur in terms of the stringency which the Torah places upon it. And similar to Yom Kippur, it is one of the observances which are common to Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews alike.
While we do not keep God's commands because of physical benefits, it is still interesting to note that circumcision has been known to offer virtually complete protection from penile cancer. According to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, none of the more than 1,600 persons studied with this cancer had been circumcised in infancy. In the words of researchers Cochen and McCurdy, the incidence of penile cancer in the U.S. is "essentially zero" among circumcised men.

Also, research at Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore have shown that circumcised men are six to eight times less likely to become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Researchers believe that protection is due to the removal of the foreskin, which contains cells that have HIV receptors which scientists suspect are the primary entry point for the HIV virus (Reuters, March 25, 2004).

Several studies reported that circumcised boys were between 10 to 39 times less likely to develop urinary tract infections during infancy than uncircumcised boys. In addition, circumcision protects against bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections and a variety of other conditions related to hygiene.

The extremely low rate of Cervical cancer in Jewish women (9 to 22 times less than among non-Jewish women) is thought to be related to the practice of circumcision. As a result of studies like these, a number of prestigious medical organizations such as the California Medical Association have recognized the benefits of circumcision.

As an operation, circumcision has an extremely small complication rate. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (1990) reported a complication rate of 0.19 percent when circumcision is performed by a physician. When performed by a trained mohel, the rate falls to 0.13 percent or about 1 in 800. When a complication occurs, it is usually due to the bleeding, which is easily correctable. No other surgical procedure can boast such figures for complication-free operations.
One reason why there are so few complications involving bleeding may be that the major clotting agents, prothrombin and vitamin K, do not reach peak levels in the blood until the eighth day of life. Prothrombin levels are normal at birth, drop to a lower level in the next few days, and return to normal at the end of the first week. One study showed that by the eighth day, prothrombin levels reach 110 percent of normal. In the words of Dr. Armand J. Quick, author of several works on the control of bleeding, "It hardly seems accidental that the rite of circumcision was postponed until the eighth day by the Mosaic law." See also:

About Jewish circumcision

Jewish circumcision: a guide

What is Jewish circumcision?

Answer 4

Yes, Jewish boys are circumcised at eight days old.