Posted on 12/29/2013 12:50:16 PM PST by Steelfish
A Small But Growing Number of Jews Are Questioning The Ancient Ritual of Circumcision
By Michelle Boorstein December 28 When his pregnant wife first challenged circumcising their son, Mike Wallach had a gut reaction: “That’s what we do: We’re Jews!” But doubts about whether the surgery was medically necessary and concern over his wife’s opposition forced Wallach to confront some questions.
Can you be Jewish without Judaism’s oldest ritual? he says he asked himself. What does it mean to be Jewish?
Adults attending conversion classes at Sixth and I synagogue learn about the traditions behind the ancient Jewish practice of circumcision. Adults attending conversion classes at Sixth and I synagogue learn about the traditions behind the ancient Jewish practice of circumcision.
Speaking with God, the 37-year-old screenwriter and grandson of Holocaust survivors explained he was using the “free will and brain you gave me” to reject circumcision. God, he concluded, wouldn’t be impressed by the desire to do something simply “for tradition’s sake.”
“I wasn’t at peace until I had that conversation,” said Wallach, who grew up in Northwest Washington and now lives in Brooklyn.
Wallach is among a small but growing number of Jews who are slowly altering what has for millennia been considered perhaps Judaism’s core rite. The Bible says an adult Abraham circumcised himself to mark the covenant between him, his descendants and God. Any male who doesn’t circumcise, God says in Genesis, “that soul will be cut off from its people; he has broken My covenant.”
Many of these Jews, according to rabbis and the ritual circumcisers known as mohels, are rejecting the classic festive circumcision ceremony, called a brit milah, or bris. For thousands of years, Jews have performed the ritual removal of the penile foreskin on the eighth day of a boy’s life...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I meant round, perky DD cup sizes, not round, perky dentists.
Nice riposte!
Understood ...
Other than the light reference to FotR, the thought was that a lot of the “faithful” seem to draw their own conclusions from the sacred texts — across many belief systems.
My doctor took one look and told my mom I couldn’t spare it.
Thank you for your post. In my family, some men are and some aren’t. We decided not to for our son, for the reasons you stated. I figure, if my son ever has a health problem that circumcision would solve, he will be old enough to get anesthesia and have some pressing need for the procedure. Not gonna snip a guy for no imminent reason.
The Pro-Smegma crowd will be sure to do anything they can to get a no circumcision law passed.
Well, whatever else you do, just "Don't Circ My Junk Man!"
Keep the little thing clean and it won’t cause any problems.
“Will the WaPo wander down to their local Mosque and inquire of the Imam as to his views on this subject?”
HA! They wouldn’t DARE...Somebody’s probably already made ‘em an offer they can’t refuse...;)
“I don’t have a link handy but I am pretty sure that medical studies show circumcision results in fewer health problems.”
This is true, but how many times do things go wrong in a hospital/doctor’s office vs. at a religious ceremony (and I’m not exactly a big fan of the medical industry) . There is an article on drudge right now where a poor little kid got his weenie wacked off, and I doubt it it will be known if it still “works” for many years.
If someone offers a group discount to circumcize every male in a village, be careful. It’s probably a trick.
"Hacking off a piece of everybody's willie...."
You DO have a way with words. :o)
It works for women too, only I wouldn't call it a "willie." What would YOU call it? :o):o)
I think it seems like a retarded concept to me too. Zillions of humans lived a LONG, long time on this earth without the benefit of willie-whacking. Hah, I like my phraseology!
A "shrinkage of the wedding tackle..."????
Hahaha, WONDERFUL phraseology.
Racquetball is a stupid game. Get him to change to squash, the game, not the vegetable.
I don’t have a link handy but I am pretty sure that medical studies show circumcision results in fewer health problems.
I don’t think it’s a big deal, and it is certainly not criminal. For those who do it for religious reasons it is important to them and it is also their business. Likewise the non religious, we act on what we believe to be true when it comes to our family health decisions (at least for now). Some will decide different than others and it is their business.
Yuck.
Sometimes, things could go terribly wrong:
Mine was doctor performed at the usual age, and some years on I had to have a minor correction done to release a couple adhesions. So yeah, I can confirm things sometimes go wrong - but I remain in the camp who believes the benefits far outweigh the risks.
When I said “Keep the little thing clean and it won’t cause any problems” I meant don’t nip it or snip it or clip it - just take good care of it and it’ll be fine. Your bris-gone-bad link serves as a painful confirmation of my position.
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