What is the deal with America Christians and circumcision?

Question

Majority of the Christians world wide do not perform the genital mutilation surgery known as circumcision to their infant males but, why is it common among America Christians to think that circumcision is a Christian ritual. Circumcision never became popular with the Christians in Europe as they were staunchly opposed to it. Over a hundred years ago, the Christians in America did not perform this surgery. All the American founding fathers were all intact.

I suspect that during the American moral revolution during the early 1900s that religious leaders decided to integrate circumcision into their teachings in their quest to end masturbation.

Answer 1

RIC (routine infant circumcision) will become illegal in all countries in due course, as it should be. It will become a thing of the past. There is absolutely no justification for this non-consensual mutilation of children.

Answer 2

The idea that the creator is involved is nonsense. This is a tribal blood/marking ritual that has nothing to do with the creator. All it does is take away pleasure from the male and changes the dynamics of the penis harming the mechanism to help gain and maintain an erection. Christians certainly should not do it to their children as it is a mutilation of Gods creation. It is against Christian principals to circumcise a male boy, unless there is an urgent medical problem. Abraham lived around 2000BCE according to the Old testament. The Bible was created and written down more than a thousand years after Abraham supposedly died. The Israelites (jews) were among a number of different tribes living in the area (Palestine) at that time - about 1000BCE to 600BCE. They blamed the fact that they suffered hardship (either through famine or conquest from other peoples) on the fact that they were not showing God enough respect. A Bible was drawn up from about the 9th century BC onwards. The aim of this Bible was to enforce a strict code (no intermarriage, worship only one God, ban on certain foods, circumcision etc). By following these rules they thought that God would protect them. There was more than one author of the Old Testament - it was continually added to over the years. It reached it's final form in about the 2nd century BCE. According to most recent research, the passages in the Bible (including Genesis 17) that command circumcision were added in the 6th century BC by the author known as the Priestly source. I'd recommend he read : "Marked in Your Flesh: Circumcision from Ancient Judea to Modern America" by Leonard B. Glick "Who wrote the bible" by Richard Elliot Friedman "The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finklestein So the Bible is not Gods word - numerous people in the field of Biblical criticism and Archeology have found it be a compendium of truth and fiction. It is totally irrational to believe in supernatural stories - especially when the evidence is so poor. This practice does such harm to the male, it is a crime to associate it with the creator. The foreskin is not just skin and does not just protect the glans(head). Circumcision is now known to ablate the most sensitive parts of the male genitals. This surgery takes away the main male pleasure zones with over 20000 fine touch and stretch nerve endings amputated. BTW, female circumcision is mostly labia and clitoral hood removal. That is MUCH LESS SEXUALLY damaging than male circumcision done by religious and done here in US hospitals. Stop with the myths, male circumcision is an amputation of the most pleasure giving parts of the male penis -- A MUTILATION.

Answer 3

Actually, circumcision is not necessarily Cristian. Circumcision is considered cleaner and a way to avoid infections that occur under the skin. Although I believe in God, I am not christian or any religion for that matter and I had my boys circumcised for this purpose. It would be more accurate to say circumcision is a American custom rather than a christian custom. Americans who don't circumcise are usually those from religions that don't practice it.
As for your assumption that circumcision was used to quell masturbation just ask the multitude of circumcised males if that has any effect on their performance. I'd venture to guess that their answer would be a resounding NO.

Answer 4

Circumcision is in no sense medical. Don't take my word for it - look up what the American Medical Association, as well as all the other western national medical associations, have to say on the subject. They all say that it does not serve a medical purpose. While there are potential benefits, they are cancelled out by the risks. Add into this mix the fact that the operation is very painful, cannot be reversed, and is performed on a non-consenting patient, and it becomes clear that the practice is unethical.

As for the argument that circumcision is justified because it is more aesthetically pleasing to women, can you imagine someone justifying cutting parts off their daughter's labia on the grounds that it would look nicer to men?

Answer 5

The circumcision was started in an old testament biblical covenant between Abraham and God, that all male children be circumcised. In modern times, I think it has less to do with Christianity and more to do with cleanliness, however, It is up to the parents of the newborn male weather or not to have the procedure done.

Answer 6

Well, circumcision has no effect on masturbation.
I think America started circumcising right around the same time other knowledge about hygiene was surfacing. when you compare Europe to America, look at all the hygiene practices. Americans typically shower every day, women shave their legs and other body hair, and men get circumcised. Europeans are known for not showering very often, hairy women, and "in tact" men. So, in my opinion, it is a hygiene issue.

Answer 7

Circumcision in the US is not at all a religious based decision. People began having their sons circumcised during the Victorian era in the US to help reduce infection and death from those infections. It continued for those reasons as well as aesthetics.

Answer 8

The anti circumcision is mostly from anti Jew sentiment... that and the fact that until very recent times it could lead to infection and even death. But it is a part of the commandment of God to The Nation of Israel... and as Christians are, by God, grafted branches of Israel, circumcision is an option. An option... not a requirement... personally I am grateful it was done... I believe it is a lot more convenient...and stimulating... and modern understanding is showing that it helps prevent disease in women as well.

Answer 9

Next thing the Pentecostals will want all youth give to wear very thick mitts so they can't get a good grip and masturbate their way to happiness.

Answer 10

No, it's not religious, but medical. It's easier to keep clean when the penis is circumcised, and so they get fewer infections. They are also more pleasant later on when a lady may "look him in the eye" so to speak.