The number of boys being circumcised is dropping. According to a 2009 study, only 32.5 percent of boys born in hospitals were circumcised—down from 56 percent in 2006. With this in mind, Lloyd Schofield is working to ban circumcision on men under 18 in San Francisco. He’s halfway to the 7,138 signatures he needs by April 26 for the measure to appear on the ballot in November.
Schofield spoke to Regina Bresler at Heeb magazine:
We come at this from the point of view of the child, whether Muslim, Jewish, or Christian, the child is certainly not experiencing any spiritual uplifting. If you’re doing it in the hospital there are no religious implications. If someone feels this is something they want to do for spiritual reasons, or otherwise, they should be able to choose for themselves. Their body, their decision. The basis of Judaism is the ability to talk about everything, yet this topic is avoided.
Learn more about the countrywide anti-circumcision movement here.
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I know this is a charged issue, but it seems pretty clear to me– if you want a circumcision, get one when you are 18. Age of consent doesn’t seem all that crazy to me.
You know, I’m with you. I’m a circumcised nonreligious Jew, and when I have kids someday, they can be circumcised when they’re old enough to decide for themselves. I don’t think it’s barbaric, just outmoded and unnecessary. Choice > covenant.
Actually, the CDC never verified that circumcision rate. It was supplied to the CDC by a company that processes only 21% of insurance e-claims. The numbers for the other 79% of insurance e-claims, insurance non-e-claims, cash, medicare, etc, would surely raise the circumcision rate into the high 70% range.
Parents should research circumcision and make an informed decision for the health & well-being of their son.
Parents shouldn’t make this decision, their children should when they are old enough to do so. Their body, their choice.
Since an uncircumcised penis can easily be circumcised but a circumcised penis can not easily be uncircumcised, banning circumcision on children is the only way to protect their body integrity from unwanted decisions surrounding it and their ability to make that choice.