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Norway's Progress Party calls for ban on circumcision for boys

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Re: Norway's Progress Party calls for ban on circumcision for boys

#11

Post by fiatjaf »

mmastrac wrote: post #2

I don't understand how parents are allowed to make major, irreversible, cosmetic medical decisions for children on their behalf. I'm not against circumcision, but it should be the choice of someone who is able to consent.

Well, parents are allowed to mark their children with musical taste, their political views, their habits, their values. These are also irreversible.

Parents are allowed to feed their children the way they want, to take their children to spots where they might get a disease, to pass on their own diseases to their children.

Parents are allowed even to pass on their genes, which may contain horrible psychological tendencies, to their children.

Re: Norway's Progress Party calls for ban on circumcision for boys

#13

Post by EliRivers »

exhilaration wrote: post #8
spraak wrote: post #5

It's genital mutilation. There's no medical reason [1]. Yes, having a foreskin means you need to clean it regularly (or your caregiver if you're a baby). And then there are disgusting things like this [2]: > In a practice that takes place during a ceremony known as the bris, a circumcision practitioner, or mohel, removes the foreskin from the baby's penis, and with his mouth sucks the blood from the incision to clean…

I found a big exception to your blanket statements: There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%. Three randomized controlled trials have shown that male circumcision provided by well trained health professionals in properly equipped settings is safe. WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasize that male circumcision should be consi…

I'm sure there are a lot of physical mutilations we could make to people that would reduce the chances of various diseases. Nonetheless, I think there's a moral issue in slicing up children (or adults) for this reason. Do our bodies belong to ourselves, to the government, to someone's god, or to the people around us?

Not that I'm saying you're advocating it; just continuing the train of thought.

Re: Norway's Progress Party calls for ban on circumcision for boys

#17

Post by ythn »

grandalf wrote: post #4
mmastrac wrote: post #2

I don't understand how parents are allowed to make major, irreversible, cosmetic medical decisions for children on their behalf. I'm not against circumcision, but it should be the choice of someone who is able to consent.

Absolutely. That we tolerate genital mutilation of infants and that many people think it's OK/normal just illustrates how powerful the forces of convention are in swaying our views/beliefs. Genital mutilation is part of the general trend of subjugating children and depriving them of rights. Just because we've banned child labor in the US does not mean we've gone far enough.

Do does that mean all circumcised males are brainwashed and were all subjugated and deprived of rights as children?

Re: Norway's Progress Party calls for ban on circumcision for boys

#18

Post by grandalf »

exhilaration wrote: post #8
spraak wrote: post #5

It's genital mutilation. There's no medical reason [1]. Yes, having a foreskin means you need to clean it regularly (or your caregiver if you're a baby). And then there are disgusting things like this [2]: > In a practice that takes place during a ceremony known as the bris, a circumcision practitioner, or mohel, removes the foreskin from the baby's penis, and with his mouth sucks the blood from the incision to clean…

I found a big exception to your blanket statements: There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60%. Three randomized controlled trials have shown that male circumcision provided by well trained health professionals in properly equipped settings is safe. WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasize that male circumcision should be consi…

Even if this is true there is absolutely no reason to do it during infancy to a helpless victim.

Perhaps the procedure could be offered to adults as a way to have safer sex without actually having safe sex.

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