What's the point or purpose of circumcision?

Question

Is it to make pure before God or what?

Answer 1

The purpose is to remove the five most sensitive areas of the penis leaving the organ with barely enough nerves to function sufficiently for procreation. This eliminates most sexual pleasure so a man will be willing to devote more time and money to religion.

Answer 2

Other then the obvious reasons already discussed:
Health/hygiene, Aesthetics, Mutilation, personal choices and Religious Covenants, there "might be some truth" in a story a old Jewish male friend of the family told my Grandfather, concerning circumcision and history. The history of the German leader Hitler and the Jewish people. Hitler wanted to wipe out the Jewish race, and one way to find a true Jew was to check his penis. Almost all Europeans did not practice circumcision, and if by misfortune you were, you were screwed and tattooed. So to make this "maybe some truth to it story" short, after that Genocidal war ended, and the Jews traveled the world and become professionals in the Medical arenas, they cleverly found a way to prevent this type of genocide from ever happening again to their race.
The practice of circumcision will now be disguised as a major health/hygiene risk, and everyone will want one willingly for their sons.
Yes, shocking and maybe unbelievable and inconceivable, but a story told never the less. I'm only sharing this as another alternative to why circumcision still exist in today's society.
Don't shoot the messenger!

Answer 3

There were a few when it originated, I believe the main ones were religious which were to prevent/reduce masturbation (considered a sin etc.), also for identification, and because back a long time ago they didn't have very good hygiene so there might have been more issue with foreskin (then again, I think the body is very clever and so it couldn't have been that bad). These reasons were turned into bogus health/hygiene reasons on the USA but there is no real reason for the mutilation.

Answer 4

By removing the foreskin, sexual pleasure is reduced. Ancient primitive people who believed sexual pleasure is bad promoted the idea. Unfortunately it is still practiced. It's a barbaric practice, there is no justification for it. The best reason given is you don't have to wash it. Since when do we remove living body parts so we won't have to wash them?

Jewish kids use to be teased for having a mutilated penis. Many of them grew up to be doctors, and as doctors they encouraged parents to circumcise their baby boys, that way the jewish boys won't be different. However, when jewish boys are circumcised, it's done when the baby is 12 days old. When non-jewish boys are circumcised, it's done when the baby is 1 day old, which is more damaging to the penis.

Circumcision of a minor should be illegal, just like it's illegal to cut off a baby's ear or nose.

Answer 5

Access to water for washing was not always easy in the late bronze age so circumcision helped, today most can shower every day with ease so it's pretty much redundant as a hygiene measure.

Circumcision is a risky procedure and can go wrong frequently requiring follow up surgery to correct botched jobs, it has no proven medical benefits, certainly none that outweigh the disadvantages or that cannot be better addressed by other measures.

In European countries circumcision is done much less these days.

"God says we must mutilate babies genitals"...sure he did!

Answer 6

In the Old Testament when God's people were living the "Law of Moses" it symbolized the covenant God had with Israel, His people.

However, it was also practiced by other nations (Egypt) where it did not have that meaning or purpose.

Since the Law of Moses was fulfilled with the Savior's great and last sacrifice, it is no longer required among Christians for the purpose of fulfilling the law, although the Jews have not yet ceased the practice for that reason.

It is still performed today for purposes of health and cleanliness. It's easiest while still in infancy, as often it will become a necessity at some unpleasant point. Some countries (Korea is one I know of for sure) don't perform circumcision until adulthood but require it to serve in the military. In Korea that military service is required for a period of time, so young men have that little surgery to look forward to.

Answer 7

There is none. It once helped because desert tribes could not keep the area clean, but nowadays it is an astethic mutilation. It's only popular in the US because Kellog of the cereal company thought it would reduce masturbation. As a circumcised male, I can assure you that is untrue.

Answer 8

Many religions, mostly Judaism sects, use it as a sacrement. It represents a commitment/dedication between the child and God. Not unlike baptism for Chirstians, but a bit more extreme.

Many people claim health and hygene benefits, including increased genital growth. All such claims are false. There is absolutely NO health benefit, not even marginal, to circumcision. The only value of circumcision is cultural/religious.

Answer 9

Circumcision is has its ties to religion as part of the sex only for creation. The purpose of circumcision is to inflict the maximum damage to the penis while retaining the ability to procreate.

Answer 10

I think in the past there has been a religious aspect to it (and still may be in some religions/cultures). I don't think God cares if your circumcised or not.