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Circumcision - good or harmful?

I agree I think that circumcision is a mutilation.

I know it's hard for people to hear - especially men who have been circumcised or parents who have circumcised their child.

I was responding to Michah's post:

Comment by Micah Oliver 13 hours ago I recommend Joe and Richard watch this person's videos on circumcision after listening to episode #28. Of special interest as they relate to the episode is the video(s) comparing female and male circumcision. They are all excellent videos, and I happen to like his approach.
http://www.youtube.com/user/freedom0speech

Male circumcision also effects female sexual pleasure. Removing the male foreskin reduces female pleasure when having sex with circumcised male vs an uncircumcised male. It is more pleasurable for a female, to have sex with a male who has a foreskin. It is more easy to climax. External clitoral stimulation is more necessary for a women to climax when having sex with a circumcised male.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dustin Williams on July 3, 2011 at 6:22pm

My mom get's worried that people will think I'm gay when I right on my blog about gay rights. My response to her was that I simply don't care.

Permalink Reply by Alice on July 3, 2011 at 6:30pm

Do you think that is because she is concerned about your attracting a mate? Or repelling homophobic friends? Or getting assaulted? Or is she just concerned about her image of having produced a gay son? Some families might feel that as a failure or something to be ashamed about. If one of my boys turned out to be gay - I'd only be sad that they might not have kids - but I'd encourage them to find someone to have kids with - I've known a few gay couples who've joined in a group of 4 to have kids with 2 dads and 2 mums, which although I think is a challenge for the kids to be in different houses, because there's been no divorce so it might work out much better than in heterosexual situations...

Permalink Reply by Dustin Williams on July 3, 2011 at 6:40pm

I think its mostly the first one. I have a hard enough time meeting women and she doesn't want me to do anything to make that any harder. Its certainly not a concern for her own image, she raised four children who have all left the church and three of the four are atheists. So I'm sure she already thinks she failed in her goal of raising good Adventist children.

What's even more interesting is she still thinks that my sense of calling to the ministry was the real deal and that my atheism is only temporary and all part of God's plan to use me to bring many to salvation.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on July 4, 2011 at 4:14pm

Do you think that is because she is concerned about your attracting a mate? Or repelling homophobic friends?

You make it sounds like repelling homophobic friends is a bad thing.

Permalink Reply by Alice on June 30, 2011 at 5:08am

I totally agree - although it must be such a strong social pressure in America. I haven't heard of anyone doing it here - although I think they do it here in Australia in Jewish communities.

Permalink Reply by Ian Mason on June 30, 2011 at 4:45am

Circumcision is pointless. Why a debate?

Permalink Reply by Alice on June 30, 2011 at 5:10am

It came up somewhere on here.... also it's still happening a lot - when really there is no reason for it, and very few people are willing to discuss it or realise that it is not only unnecessary, but damaging or detracting of well being regarding sexual pleasure for both them and their sexual partner.

Permalink Reply by Earther on June 30, 2011 at 9:20am

As long as there is injustice there will be debate. People are looking for a solution. As long as there is pain and suffering there will be debate by people who are looking for a solution.

Permalink Reply by Earther on June 30, 2011 at 9:14am

Dunn, I have to disagree with your thought of being ignorant in making a decision. Medical decisions are not easy or guarantees for anyone. You did what you thought was correct in a world of uneducated folk. My feeling is that circumcision at birth is not a good solution. In your case you had a medical history of a need for circumcision and it may have been the better of the two decisions to go ahead with circumcision. Is this the case though with the majority of the population? Should girls be debreasted at birth to avoid breast cancer? Pain management for surgical procedures such as adult circumcision may have been better dealt with by a physician who knew what to do. Maybe advancement in adult circumcision will improve with discovery. Maybe tight foreskin could be stretch instead of removed. I am not a doctor but I am sure there is more than one solution. No matter what happens to our bodies or minds in this world we alway have to learn how to have respect for ourselves and others. The most tragic part of this topic how we treat the innocent without thought, foresight, or reason. The innocent do deserve protection from ridiculous practice. If there was a law made about this idea on circumcision it could very well be treated like most other proceedures. They do not do it unless it is a medical necessity by way of family history, medical discovery, prevention of likely occurances. If it is because of religious reasons there is no reason to do it unless the person chooses it for themselves at the legal age of 18. Circumcised men who did not make the decision for themselves will have to learn how to respect themselves for what they have, they do not have to respect the decision someone else made for them. If they do respect it there may be good reason for it. There should be change made somewhere.

Permalink Reply by Earther on June 30, 2011 at 10:32am

You make a very strong point as this debate continues. I still have a problem with circumcision by religious endoctrine or religious teaching as a truth or panacea for moral living of any sort. The medicine for making a better informed decision will be in the health study of male genitalia. Having a debate like this informs me that there is still not enough information on the subject. We not only make decisions today about whether we need to circumcise or not but whether to inoculate with vaccines. Your point is well taken, don't decide a medical proceedure based on what you read here. There is so much information for us to sort through and that is very frustrating.

Permalink Reply by Earther on June 30, 2011 at 11:29am

I agree ;) Also we can all reason just like we can all form an opinion.

Permalink Reply by Dustin Williams on July 1, 2011 at 12:30am

Yes, there are risks of things that can go wrong with a foreskin, but those are low risks. There are also low risks of problems created by a circumcision, especially if the doctor performing it screws up and chops off too much.

When it comes to informed consent, one point that has to be made is at what point should parent's be free to provide that consent. Elective body modification is something that I think should be up to the person who's body it is. If it's a medical necessity that's different.

As was pointed out, should a parent be able to have her daughter have her breasts removed at birth if every woman in the family has had breast cancer? The risk of complications would be lower than having it later in life and not having to go through cancer treatment would improve her quality and quantity of life.

What if a parent had a son, but wanted a daughter, should they be able to have their boy castrated and go through sex change operations and hormones as a child?

What about having a few month old daughter's ears pierced? There's a chance that when she grows up she wont want to wear earrings and be left with scars that were not her choosing.

I know some of these scenarios are more minor or more major that circumcision, but who's body is it?

I was circumcised as a baby. I know I didn't have chance at informed consent about what happened to my penis.