German court rules circumcision is 'bodily harm'

BBC ^ | June 26, 2012

[NCjim]

A court in Germany has ruled that circumcising young boys for religious reasons amounts to bodily harm.

In a decision that has caused outrage among Jewish and Muslim groups, the court said that a child's right to physical integrity trumps religious and parental rights.

The case involved a doctor who carried out a circumcision on a four year-old that led to medical complications.

Thousands of Muslim and Jewish boys are circumcised in Germany every year.

Although male circumcision - unlike female circumcision - is not illegal in Germany, the court's judgement said the "fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents".

Circumcision, it decided, contravenes "interests of the child to decide later in life on his religious beliefs".

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Circumcision is a blessing from God, first to Abraham and later to Israel. They didn’t at that time possess the medical knowledge to appreciate it.
....
Germany is aware of the medical benefits. But since it’s a blessing from God, they ignore the benefits and outlaw it.”

Time has proved this so.

As I posted, my mother went to a Jewish hospital to give birth because they had the best doctors in the area and we were circumcised and I see only positives from it. My parents were Christian and had no religious reason for doing this, but my Mom had a medical profession/background herself and knew who the good doctors were.

[longtermmemmory]

so why not just say that from now on only adults may consent to this? since it is infants’ consent at issue over this medical procedure, then simply allow the devout to consent as an adult.

[Pollster1]

It’s unacceptable NOT to according to the Torah and we would rather face the death penalty than give it up.

I agree completely with you. Unfortunately, this is in Germany, and they have in the past offered that alternative. I am very worried that the same climate is returning, at least in Europe and potentially even in the United States.

[Jewbacca]

“It’s as horrible as male circumcision, imho”

Yeah, it’s just so bad. We need to kill everyone who does that.

[Marie]

I don’t think you know what female circ. is. They remove the clitoris. The woman no longer has the ability to enjoy sexual pleasure.

They sew the labia together so that urine flows down toward the vagina. Rates of infection are unbelievable.

Yeah. STD’s would go down if the woman hates sex! :-(

[Jewbacca]

How about you let us raise our children.

I’ve got 8 kids and a wife with big ass smile on her face.

Seems all the equipment works fine.

[Jewbacca]

“since it is infants’ consent at issue”

If they only worried about infants’ consent to abortion so much.

[Marie]

Circumcision separates those who have the covenant with G-d from those who don’t.

[strider44]

God, the master of all life, creation, and the universe, cares whether or not a man has a little extra skin around the tip of his penis? Skin he is born with by the way. Preposterous.

I am circumcised as are all three of my sons. The court should stay out of this decision. But to think this decision somehow effects the way god feels is absurd.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

I thank God that as a Polish Catholic my parents had me circumcised as a new born.

I have never met any circumcised males that wished to revert.

[Marie]

You do realize that this doesn’t apply to non-Jews?

http://www.britpro.com/default.asp?p=bris

I won’t presume to speak for Christians, but here’s a resource on that angle:

http://www.gotquestions.org/circumcision.html

But that’s the thing. If Jewish parents believe that they are instructed by G-d to have their sons circumcised, who is the gov’t to say that they can’t do it?

[newzjunkey]

What a joke. Penile cancers are extremely rare and connected to HPV infection. There are HPV vaccinations approved for boys now. Now you'll come back and say oh but it reduces HIV transmission in sub-Sahara Africa as if there's no behavioral alternative.

There's no justification for circumcision except in the most unusual medical cases.

[RichInOC]

Decapitation while yelling “Allahu akbar!”, on the other hand, has been reclassified as cosmetic surgery.

[eleventyone]

Circumcision of any kind is absolutely beneficial.

Just like cutting off a person’s arms to control body odor is beneficial.

I wonder how many circumcision fans grimace when they see an infant girl with pierced ears? She’s too young! el oh el.

I always find it amazing that God’s perfect design suffers from a critical flaw. Well, at least man was here to correct his mistake. Off with their heads!

[eleventyone]

I’ll take a tilt at your strawman.

Well...with body piercings or tattoos the person receiving them generally agrees to get them. It is kind of like me throwing myself off of a cliff versus other people throwing me off of a cliff.

Or are you suggesting that parents be allowed to pierce or tattoo their days old infants?

So, to break it down...

A person chooses to get themselves tattooed = ok.

Cutting off a piece of your infant’s penis and throwing it away without his permission = not ok.

[bmwcyle]

How many tatoos do you have?

[Jewbacca]

Oh, and welcome to FR.

You’ve been here a whole two days and are already dumping on Judaism. You won’t last.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I have never met any circumcised males that wished to revert.

---

You just did. (Not revert, which is impossible, but who would have preferred to remain intact with the option later in life to decide for myself.)