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Circumcision and genital mutilation: let's discuss.
I think one of the things that we far too often overlook in this country is that fact that genital mutilation of newborn boys is common practice, if not standard. Why isn't there more of a cry against this? Do the benefits of circumcision (if any, and I don't see any valid argument that there are any) outweigh the cost and mutilation of a boy?
Of course circumcision isn't the only genital mutilation in the world, but it's the only type in practice in the United States. Female genital mutilation is just as barbaric, if not more so. Americans, and Europeans in general, ban female genital mutilation of babies, but why the hypocrisy in not doing the same for males?
Tags: Christianity, God, Judaism, circumcision, clitoral, covenant, genital, mutilation
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Paola Hughson on -
One imam said recently, that even animals need two eyes to navigate. I hope that imam is still alive! ;)
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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on -
I'm impressed with your knowledge. I didn't even know what a hadith is.
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Permalink Reply by Anthony Hordern on -
Female circumcision and male circumcision can most definitely be compared as there are different types of both. FGM can involve different degrees and kinds of mutilation from socalled hoodectomies and clitoridectomies to labiaplasties and hysterectomies. It can also involve infibulation. The point is that all of these procedures are looked at with revulsion and are even illegal to perform on infants and girls in some countries, including the USA. It is illegal to prick the genitals of a girl with a pin but it is legal to cut off a boy's foreskin. Many types of female circumcision remove less tissue and less nerve-endings than male circumcisions. The foreskin contains around 20000 nerve-endings, the clitoris only 8000.
I don't think that female circumcisions are performed to punish females so much as to try to control and moderate them. Secular male and female circumcision originated in the USA during the 1800s, however, for the explicit purpose of punishing masturbation. The perceived hygeine reasons for circumcision also began around this time, the thinking being that masturbation, "nervous irritation" (sexual lust) and smegma caused disease. As the medical paradigm changed, the justifications evolved to infections and cancers.
I don't quite understand how an intact guy could be "missing out" on being circumcised. If you miss out on a loss of pleasure and function then I would think that to be a good thing. Also, just because millions of men have not spoken out about circumcision does not mean it has not affected them. First of all there are thousands of men that are speaking out against it now because of the internet. Second of all, many circumcised men probably don't know they could be missing out on anything because they know nothing else and most of them have grown up in circumcising societies. And third of all, speaking out about penile problems is not exactly an easy thing for a guy to do.
I think that genital mutilation is up there with the great atrocities perpetrated by religion. The foreskin is not a small piece of skin. In an infant it is of course relatively small, but it grows to a size of about fifteen square inches of densely nerve-laden erogenous tissue in an adult male.
I think that most intactivists believe any alteration to the genitals of males or females should be a personal choice made by a consenting and informed adult about their own bodies. Otherwise circumcision should be like any other surgery: performed out of medical necessity (given a thorough understanding of human anatomy and physiology and the available treatments and cures known by doctors).
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Permalink Reply by Ron Low on -
If it's mutilation when a doctor in Egypt anesthetizes a baby girl and amputates her clitoral hood (aka prepuce) under sterile conditions, then it is mutilation when a doctor in the US amputates the foreskin (aka prepuce) from baby boy. Whatever word you want to use, it must be the SAME word for both.
The male and female genitals are identical in the womb until three months gestation. Google Prader scale to see how the homologous parts develop.
If you don't have a weak stomach, just Google "circumcision damage" to see common horrid cosmetic and functional adult outcomes of infant circumcision which you apparently were lucky enough to avoid; things like jagged irregular scars, painful bulgy truncated veins, skin bridges, pits and gouges to the glans, stitch tunnels, meatal stenosis scars, buried penis, coarse hair growing all the way to the scar line, horrific malopposition of the shaft and glans, curved erection due to tight skin, early-onset anorgasmia, etc.
Even if you can't claim any of those losses you DID lose about 20,000 specialized pleasure-receptive nerve endings and 15 square inches of adult sexual interface surface. You also lost the protective sheath to keep the glans the adjacent mucosa supple like the inside of the eyelid, and the exquisite frictionless rolling/gliding feeling.
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Permalink Reply by Anthony Hordern on
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There are many atrocities in this world, but the genital mutilation of children is definitely one of them. Having your foreskin forcibly amputated is just as bad as having a hand forcibly amputated. Being threatened or killed because of sexual orientation is up there with having your genitals mutilated for the fact of being merely sexual!
You are downplaying the destructiveness of circumcision because you yourself are circumcised and it must be very hard for you to acknowledge that your anatomy and sexuality were irreparably altered without your consent. The permanent damaging of infant genitalia, whether they be male or female, is a heinous crime perpetrated by a sick society which has negative effects that no one can fully appreciate. Quite apart from the physical and sexual damage there is psychological damage that men carry with them throughout life. This affects society as a whole.
Your minimisation and trivilisation of this issue is an insult to all the babies that have died as a result of this disgusting practice. It is an insult to all the men who have had their sex lives destroyed and even their entire lives destroyed. You speak as someone who has obviously done no real research on the issue, for if you had then you would find that there are many men who didn't come out of the procedure as well as you; men who have suffered the side-effects of botched jobs (which are actually quite common). Side-effects such as total loss of sensation or function, terrible scarring, chunks missing, skin bridges, skin tags, painful erections, meatal stenosis, and the list goes on. These boys and men have had to live with the consequences of a badly performed operation that was totally unnecessary to begin with. This is a very serious issue and the quicker we as a species can come to a more healthy attitude towards sex, sexuality, and our own bodies, the sooner we shall see a much happier and more peaceful world. Don't underestimate the roll that sexual repression has in creating the kind of society where the other crimes and abuses you speak of are commonplace.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh Young on
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"Having your foreskin forcibly amputated is just as bad as having a hand forcibly amputated." "being ... killed is up there with having your genitals mutilated"
Let's not go overboard. We use our hands all the time, our foreskins only occasionally. The case against circumcision is quite strong enough without overstating it. The rest of what you say is pretty good, but our opponents will take overstatements like that one out of context and use them against us.
(I prefer to use understatement, myself. It makes my case more watertight.)
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Permalink Reply by Anthony Hordern on
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I understand your point and appreciate your reply. However, my statements are a matter of perspective. Having your foreskin forcibly amputated is just as bad as having a hand forcibly amputated in the sense that they are both involuntary and unwanted ablations of normal healthy functional body-parts. As to whether a person would prefer the one over the other is debatable. I once read an intact man allegedly write that he would prefer his hand was cut off than his foreskin, but this may have been hyperbole.
And as someone who believes in life after death and that there are many possible human sufferings far worse than death (whether there is survival or not), I don't consider death to be the ultimate evil and horror that many people seem to believe. In my opinion having parts of your genitals cut off as an infant is an anti-sexual procedure just as being threatened or harmed for your sexuality is an anti-sexual act.
In light of what you said, though, what do you think of the term 'genital mutilation' which many people (Mr Whitfield, who I was replying to, included) consider to be excessive and unnecessarily provocative?
P.S. Are you the Hugh behind the intactivism pages?
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Permalink Reply by Paola Hughson on
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In australia one is hard pressed to find a doctor who will perform male circumcisions, because doctors admit its lack of neccessity. Of course i would imagine there would be religious doctors out there that one could seek out. Female circumcision is illegal.
Last night i saw a disturbing documentary about what is acceptable to show on pornographic magazines, and apparently if the labia is sticking out, it is unacceptable, so all these stupid women, not just in the porn industry are having the labia cut off! All for looks! wraaaaaaaaaa!!!! Go figure!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Nicole on -
Labioplasty is becoming quite common. Pornography has long dictated the bedroom lives of couples, but with technology making it more readily available, the effects are more clearly seen. It is now pretty much expected for men and women to look certain ways below the belt line, and to act in certain ways. It's rather obnoxious that women are supposed to be able to play an angel in the outside world and a succubus in the bedroom.
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Permalink Reply by TNT666 on -
Along with hymenoplasty, the manufacturing of fake vaginas so religious women can pretend to be virgins on their wedding night and bleed. AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!
And this is the exact reason to spend more time naked with others and NOT have surgeries ourselves. This is what I call "Keepin' it Real". The more pressure there is to look a certain "clean" or "proper" way, the stronger we must push back and show how variable nature is.
Hey, I'll start the confession (for those who won't get to see me naked :) I have side-boobs, had them since age 28. There, I said it. Yes they are actually quite common, nothing like the skinny flat lower armpits we see in porn. I ridicule women who get implants. It is the ultimate in superficiality and a dishonour to all other women. It's in-line with my stance on circumcision (M or F) NO.
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Permalink Reply by TNT666 on
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oups, manufacturing fake hymens, sorry... altho we some do get vaginal rejuvenation!
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Permalink Reply by Paola Hughson on
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Power to Labias!!! hahaha
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