In which comic books in the USA become clearly anti-Semitic:

[underlankers]

As some may know, there's a whole furor in San Francisco over penises. This may seem unsurprising given that it is San Francisco, except that in this case the furor is over circumcision. A man named Hess has been advocating banning circumcision of men, which is opposed by both Jews and Muslims in the city. As well it should be, for such a ban is a

Comments

[hey_its_michael]

If one believes that banning circumcision is anti-religion, then one must think that circumcising an infant does not violate that infant's human rights.

There are many of us who do consider circumcision a practice that DOES violate the rights of a baby (who cannot consent to having his genitalia modified). Therefore, religion does not excuse this practice.

[raichu100]

this.

[jerseycajun]

The child cannot consent for any number of things because it is a child. It posses a more limited set of rights the balance of which are entrusted to the parent until the point of maturity. The question becomes a matter of harm and violence. Violent acts entail more in their nature than simply body modification. If it didn't doctors and parents would be guilty any time surgery was performed on a child. The child cannot distinguish between the effect of a ritual and the effect of a surgery if they are both carried out in caring conditions and surroundings.

[hey_its_michael]

The relevant point to me isn't just that the child cannot consent.  Modifying genitalia is not "simply body modification", IMHO.  It removes a great deal of nerve connections and reduces sexual pleasure in a male.  It modifies the appearance of the male's genitalia for reasons beyond those that the child might otherwise choose.  My concern is not solely whether or not the infant can tell what is going on while someone lops off part of his genitalia (although that is relevant).  Instead, it is about the changes that the parents are imposing on the most intimate part of that infant's body before the infant can even speak his mind or fight back, if he were so inclined.

There are many things that we now consider "violent" no matter the manner in which they are conducted.  Good intentions behind a particular act do not neutralize the otherwise violent nature of that conduct.

[raichu100]

Not quite the same thing as a life-saving surgery, though, is it? And surgery doesn't necessarily mean removing part of the body permanently.