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"Nick" of Girls' Genitals Endorsed by American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2987372/nick_of_girls_genitals_endorsed_by.html ^

Posted on 05/12/2010 6:32:25 PM PDT by Maggie Maggie Maggie

What is the American Academy of Pediatrics thinking? Why would this esteemed medical organization backtrack on a firm policy against female circumcision? Now the American Academy of Pediatrics has announced that it will permit a modified symbol of female circumcision that allows doctors to nick or prick the clitoris of young girls so that families do not get a full female circumcision done. Why? Why subject young girls to anything that traumatizes them and associates their genital region with a ceremony that causes them physical pain and emotional distress? And why even honor the concept of female circumcision with a symbol to let girls know their sexuality is tainted? Female Circumcision is Illegal in America Those families that insist on genital mutilation, which is currently illegal in the United States, will do whatever it takes to get it done. Why encourage them to think about the notion by allowing even a nicking of genitals to take place? The New York Times reports that "Dr. Friedman Ross stated that the committee "opposes all types of female genital cutting that impose risks or physical or psychological harm. The nick is supposed to be as benign as getting a girl's ears pierced. It's taking a pin and creating a drop of blood." That statement is ridiculous. There is nothing "benign" about any cutting, pricking, or nicking of the female clitoris. Doctors in America should not be appeasing old school families that denigrate female sexuality and want a symbol of female circumcision done on their daughter's body. Any Ritual Cutting of Female Genitals is Misogynist The American Academy of Pediatrics is taking political correctness too far in trying to appease the cultural sensitivities of families from places like Africa and the Middle East.

(Excerpt) Read more at associatedcontent.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: circumcision; fgm; moralabsolutes; paragraphs
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To: Arthur Wildfire! March

No, nothing that could possibly qualify as a “nick” would cause any harm at all — it’s not removing anything, or even making a cut large enough to produce any detectable scar tissue. And that’s what makes it comparable to circumcision, or any other *harmless* religious or cultural practice. Sodomizing kids or making them play with rattlesnakes is obviously not harmless.

As I said, I don’t think the proposal makes much sense as a way to change a cultural tradition (and it is cultural not religious — it’s even commonly practiced by Christians in the countries where it’s prevalent). People who are not interested in disabling their daughters’ sexual function have already abandoned the key feature of the tradition, are unlikely to be interested in any “ritual nicks”. There might be a handful of people who would do it as a way to partially appease backward-minded grandparents or something, but otherwise it’s dead in the water.


61 posted on 05/13/2010 7:51:33 AM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: BenKenobi

I am not a proponent of settee, but who is the “we” that does not permit it? What standard does the “we? use to decide whether or not settee should be permitted? If the people involved practiced settee by their own free will, do they not have a right to exercise their religious beliefs? Is the freedom of a religion a right or a privilege? Unless such questions as these can be answered, then have nothing more than subjective personal opinion.


62 posted on 05/13/2010 3:24:43 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: James C. Bennett; hellbender

I second that ‘exactly’


63 posted on 05/13/2010 3:37:49 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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To: Nosterrex

First off.

1. Who is the we? Everyone from Sikhs to Muslims to Christians all forbid the practice.

2. This is a good question. The standard used is that in practice it was not voluntary, and two, voluntary presumes that the person is in a correct state of mind.

It’s like the argument against suicide. We do not permit suicide in this culture even if some kill themselves anyways.

3. Religious freedoms are not absolute. Child sacrifice isn’t permitted, even though some religions participate in them. It’s a question of what is the higher value, doing what is right, or allowing everyone to do as they wish.

4. Freedom of religion is a right.

4.


64 posted on 05/13/2010 5:12:59 PM PDT by BenKenobi
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To: BenKenobi

Christianity is based upon human sacrifice. If Christians condemn human sacrifice on moral grounds, it is condemning not only itself as an immoral religion, but it is also condemning God of immorality. Not only did the Father offer up his Son has a sacrifice for the sins of the world, but he also commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. It is rather strange to praise Jesus as the sacrificial lamb of God, and then condemn another religion for practicing human sacrifices.
For either Muslims, Jews, or Christians to condemn religious sacrifices is hypocritical. I know little or nothing about Sikhs.
It is easy to believe that someone is not in his correct state of mind whenever he does something with which we disagree or do not understand. It is too easy to assume that conventionally accepted behavior is the only norm by which we determine what is acceptable religious practices. I could very easily see society condemning infant circumcision as child abuse. Just as I could see some counties in the deep South forbidding the use of wine for communion. If Christianity had practiced infant sacrifice throughout her history until today, it would be considered an acceptable religious practice and protected by law. The primary reason that certain religious practices are permitted and others condemned is a matter of cultural or conventional taste.


65 posted on 05/13/2010 7:59:02 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Maggie Maggie Maggie
Paging Dr. Nick


66 posted on 05/13/2010 8:01:05 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Nosterrex

You obviously understand nothing about Christianity.


67 posted on 05/13/2010 8:04:10 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (Overproduction, one of the top five worries of the American Farmer each and every year..)
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To: Nosterrex

Awful analysis. Christianity is in no wise based upon ‘human sacrifice.’ One perfect God-man gave His life one time, for all sins of His own. That is not the repetitive act your comments connote.


68 posted on 05/13/2010 8:04:49 PM PDT by esquirette ("Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee." ~ Augustine)
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To: esquirette

Was Jesus human? Was he not a human sacrifice for sin? Did not Paul preach Jesus Christ and him crucified? If the truth offends you, I cannot help it. Christianity is based upon a human sacrifice, and his name is Jesus. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. If you were you reread my comments, you would see very clearly that I never said that Christianity practiced repetitive human sacrifices. If, however, it did, it would most likely become a legally protected religious practice. I do not mind having people point out any logical errors, but I really do wish that you would actually read what I wrote.


69 posted on 05/13/2010 8:20:26 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex

“Christianity is based upon human sacrifice.”

Interesting argument. So you approve of Suttee? You approve of child sacrifice? You believe that people ought to be able to kill their children because they believe their religion tells them too?

That is the consequence of your philosophy that freedom of religion is absolute. It is not. None of our freedoms are absolute, not liberty, not even life. We do not have the right to kill others and expect for our right to life to remain. We are not permitted to exercise our liberty such that to constrain others. One person’s rights end where another persons’ right begins. This is an essential principle.

Actions contrary to the Natural Law do not support our rights, they work against them. Approving child sacrifice teaches us that human life is not valuable. It is not sacred in anyway shape or form.

Sacrificing children to Molech is explicitly condemned throughout the OT. It was a practice very common among Pagans. Christians too, condemned child sacrifice and we have freed people from the grips of religions that thought no better than to kill their own people.

As for Abraham, did he not say, “God himself will provide for us a lamb?” And did not God do that very thing? Did that passage in Genesis show that God blessed Abraham for actually willing to sacrifice his son, or did it show that God will provide?

As for Christ, and his atonement, are Christians to emulate Christ by sacrificing their children? Or do we believe that Christ was the perfect sacrifice, the passover lamb without blemish?

Christ offered himself, and he rose from the dead so that we do not have to offer ourselves for anything. Christ is the perfect sacrifice. Human sacrifice denies the atonement, and denies that Christ was God and Man. We cannot match his sacrifice because our children are not both God and Man, therefore we must not sacrifice our children, but instead, accept Christ.

“It is easy to believe that someone is not in his correct state of mind whenever he does something with which we disagree or do not understand.”

So when you see someone trying to kill themselves, your impulse is to ignore them and let them die? Or do you believe that they are not in their right mind and try to help them?

“If Christianity had practiced infant sacrifice throughout her history until today, it would be considered an acceptable religious practice and protected by law.”

So you do not believe that Christianity is founded on fundamental truths which are applicable to everyone. Why didn’t Christianity approve of child sacrifice? Why did they attempt to get rid of it wherever they have seen it?

This is because Christians saw child sacrifice as contrary to the Natural Law. This is the distinction that we must draw between religious practices which do permit freedoms, and those that do not. In another example, offering yourself as a martyr to save the lives of others is lawful, whereas killing yourself to kill other people is not.

Once you step outside the natural law, you have lost what freedoms you ever had.


70 posted on 05/13/2010 8:34:01 PM PDT by BenKenobi
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To: Nosterrex

“If, however, it did, it would most likely become a legally protected religious practice.”

Christianity isn’t a command religion where everything is right because it is commanded by God or practiced by those who call themselves believers. If this were so, there would be no teachings held by the Church. Christianity upholds the natural law, the law written on our hearts. Christianity is what it is because of what the natural law teaches, not in spite of it.


71 posted on 05/13/2010 8:37:13 PM PDT by BenKenobi
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To: BenKenobi
Natural law is based upon divine law, which is established by God. Did God command Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac? Did God send his Son to be a human sacrifice for sin? Did God command the Israelites to kill men, women, and children? Was God acting morally or immorally? How does Natural Law explain these actions by God? Are you going to tell God that he cannot do these things because they are contrary to Natural Law or whatever you believe God wrote into your heart?
72 posted on 05/14/2010 11:05:44 AM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex

Yes, God commanded Isaac to do this. However, did God permit Isaac to kill his son? No. This is important. God did not permit Isaac to kill his son.

As for Christ, Christ volunteered to serve as the passover lamb. God did not sacrifice Christ, the Romans sacrificed him through crucifixion. However, unlike the rest of us, Christ, being God, returned from the dead.


73 posted on 05/14/2010 11:30:59 AM PDT by BenKenobi
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To: Nosterrex

If you find your characterization wise, stay with it.


74 posted on 05/14/2010 1:05:16 PM PDT by esquirette ("Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee." ~ Augustine)
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To: texteacher

Personally speaking; I’m not missing the extra skin, and since I have no recollection of the procedure, I’ve not been traumatized by it.


75 posted on 05/14/2010 1:09:26 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: BenKenobi
So let me understand this. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, but God was only joking. Abraham must have gotten a good laugh. God is such a joker.

Christ was sent by the Father to die for the sins of the world. If you recall the account of Abraham and Isaac, you will notice that it was God that provided the sacrifice, which is fulfilled in Christ. He is the sacrifice provided by God. Jesus said that he came to do his Father's will, not his own. He even asked his Father to spare him from the Cross. It was the Father's will that Jesus die for the sins of the world. God may have used human beings to carry out the sacrifice, but it was from beginning to end the will of Father. He is the Lamb of God, God's sacrifice.
Btw, the Romans did not sacrifice Jesus, they punished him by crucifixion. If you execute a criminal, you do not sacrifice him, you punish him.

All people will rise from the dead on the Last Day. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection.

76 posted on 05/14/2010 3:12:29 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex

“So let me understand this. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, but God was only joking. Abraham must have gotten a good laugh. God is such a joker.”

He was testing Abraham, to see whether Abraham would follow what YWHW was asking him to do even if he didn’t understand.

You are right that it was the Father’s will, but Christ volunteered. He chose to suffer and die for us.

“Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

Matthew 26:53.


77 posted on 05/14/2010 3:22:48 PM PDT by BenKenobi
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To: BenKenobi
He was testing Abraham, to see whether Abraham would follow what YWHW was asking him to do even if he didn’t understand.

Abraham went ahead with what he was commanded because he reasoned, if Isaac was through whom God's promise would be fulfilled and he, Abraham, killed Isaac, that God would raise Isaac from the dead.
78 posted on 05/14/2010 3:38:55 PM PDT by aruanan
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To: GovernmentShrinker

So there’s a new version of female cirumcision, a “compromise nick”?


79 posted on 05/16/2010 6:05:54 AM PDT by Arthur Wildfire! March (We knew deep down it was this bad. Devour ugly truths with glee -- truth is our weapon.)
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