Circumcision: a Pillar of American ignorance

[Rodrigo Girao]

Are you sure you were paying any attention?

 

[gphjr14]

You're bored so you
A.) Go outside and socialize with other people.
B.) Stay inside and read a book or play videogames.
C.) Set stuff on fire.
D.) Create a circumcision thread so the same arguments can be made for the thousandth time on the internet.

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

Yeah, why try to debate serious subjects when you could be out there having fun?

 

[asinann]

There have been cases of doctors and parents getting sued and losing over circumcision, might want to think of that before you do it to your sons.

It's just something people do. People don't need a good reason. A friend I know from work gets drunk just because she likes how it feels. Is she a blind drunk? No, she only drinks on holidays. But getting drunk does far more damage to her body than good. Does she care? No! Because it's her body! Let her do what she wants with it! The same thing applies for circumcision.

Except that in most cases in the US, it's not THEIR bodies, it's the bodies of their children, who have no voice or understanding of what is happening.

 

[Rule Britannia]

I'm not circumcised only once have I wished I was circumcised. finished taking a piss I zipped up and trapped the skin midway in the teeth of the zip. OUCH.

Sorry to paint a picture

I have no other regrets, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything whatsoever.

 

[Aigaion]

I'm circumcised and almost everyone I've ever talked to is, and it's not like you can possibly remember it so stop calling it 'torture'. Besides, if you are old enough to understand it and understand why it would be done, there's no way anyone would want to. It's just a thing, and it's not that big a deal, do it or don't and nobody will ever really care.
(Besides, I think uncut penises look pretty weird.)

 

[AngloDoom]

Besides, if you are old enough to understand it and understand why it would be done, there's no way anyone would want to.

There. That.

This is the big problem I have. Would you have it done yourself? No. You you do it to your child? Yes. Don't you see anything wrong with that?

I'll refer you to my previous point:

Honestly, so far when reading this topic the only arguments I've seen for having circumcision forced (and it is forced) on an infant are:

- My penis is fine, I can totally remember what sex was like before circumcision when I was fifteen minutes old.
- It looks better when you're raised in a society where you only see one and not the other.
- The father has it, but I won't mention how the dad also has tattoos, piercings...
- It's cleaner when you live in a cave and haven't heard of washing.
- It's my decision to do what I do to permanently affect another person.

If someone gave me a reasonable answer for having unnecessary surgery on an infant for almost entirely cosmetic reasons then I'd concede that it is, indeed, their choice.

However, for now I cannot help but see why it's any different to scarifying your favourite band into your child's thigh at birth.

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

I'm circumcised only once have I wished I wasn't circumcised. finished taking a piss I zipped up and trapped the skin midway in the teeth of the zip. OUCH.

Yet I've seen people defend circumcision by saying: "The foreskin could get caught on the zip." Duh?

 

[gphjr14]

Yeah, why try to debate serious subjects when you could be out there having fun?

Yeah because what you discuss here on escapistmagazine has a 100% chance of going on to have a profound affect on the world just like it did a few weeks ago when it was discussed...oh wait.

 

[Ferrious]

Reliable citation needed for anyone claiming that circumcision makes sex any less enjoyable.

My apologies for not trawling through 10 pages of this thread to see if you got a satisfactory answer, but I'll throw in my 2c. I was circumcised at 23 and can say for absolute sure that it does reduce the sensations during sex. It's not that I don't enjoy it now, far from it, but it is less pleasurable.

Now peer reviewed studies one man's story ain't, but just wanted to offer that viewpoint from someone who has seen both sides of the coin.

 

[Emperor Nat]

As far as I know (bearing in mind I'm English and therefore have little experience with American Healthcare) circumcision is currently only ever performed for religious or medical reasons, both of which are justified.

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

As far as I know (bearing in mind I'm English and therefore have little experience with American Healthcare) circumcision is currently only ever performed for religious or medical reasons, both of which are justified.

No, performing an unnecessary and destructive surgery for supernatural reasons is not justified at all.

As for the so-called medical reasons, they usually are not. It's just a custom, "everybody does it so we should too". The problems that circumcision is dubiously claimed to prevent are rare (penile cancer), preventable by other methods (venereal diseases), or easily treated (urinary tract infection). Even the one condition it actually corrects (phimosis) can also be treated by more conservative methods (steroid creams, preputioplasty), so it should be saved as a last resort, for when all else has failed.

You know, I doubt most jews actually care for the "God said so" part. They also do it for the "everybody does it" thing.

 

[conflictofinterests]

Seeing as though it is irreversible it should be a choice you make when you're an adult, rather than your parents make for you when you are a newborn.

Circumcision is reversible.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/how-to-reverse-the-irreversible-1338650.html

This point is invalid, though I'm sure several other points against circumcision are quite salient.

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

Not really. Such reconstruction gives you a more natural appearance, and gives the glans protection, but a real foreskin has some unique nerve ends that make a world of difference.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

Other than Jews, Muslims, and other primitive tribes

Okay, now that is just flat-out racist. You're really not the one to be calling others ignorant. And what does it matter to you whether or not American culture condones circumcision? I don't think it really bothers you at all, you're just looking for a reason to discredit American society, which is also incredibly ignorant.

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

"Jew" and "Muslim" are not races, so how was that racist?

 

[xXGeckoXx]

Reliable citation needed for anyone claiming that circumcision makes sex any less enjoyable.

This. Last time a thread like this appeared I got pissed off with the escapist. A number of bullshit claims made by people about the negative effects of circumcision. People act like anti-abortionists on this site when talking about this subject. I have not posted on this site since because of how pissed off I was but now that reddit is down I will give it a shot.

here is my monologue from last time:

"I have never EVER seen a thread more full of confirmation bias and recursive/circular logic.

This is a bad argument it is a shame to see this happen. There is basically no difference. The medical benefits and weaknesses cancel on both sides. It should be at the discretion of the parents...why? simple. You see if someone is circumcised as a baby they will NEVER know what they missed and they will not remember any pain. If they are uncircumcised as a baby they will not know what they missed and if they REALLY want a circumcision on top of that they can have a painful surgery and get it; if not then cool same.

Circumcision is a non invasive non damaging procedure that has little effect on ones life.

For the record I am circumcised, I was circumcised as a baby and I am content because I don't know what I missed out on and quite happily live the life of any normal penis owner.

Also: The evidence I have seen on both sides is a large amount of hot air. One thing that is fact is that people without foreskins will find it easier to clean the penis. Does this mean that people with foreskins will have unclean penises? NO of course not it can be cleaned with effort. So once again no difference. Less sensitivity? bull crap you don't know what you have missed. Quite frankly it's hard to imagine a higher level of pleasure than sexual if you are circumcised so you can't even IMAGINE what you have missed.

Also to those who think nobody should be circumcised:

Man you people who say nobody should be circumcised and it is just done because of religion. You are enforcing your opinions on others just as much as the fanatics you speak of, given the chance you would ban circumcision. Well how about this how about I pretend I am a religious fanatic I should say that "Nobody should be uncircumcised, its unnatural because it is against gods word". Who are you to define natural, who are you to be so selfish."

 

[monkey_man]

Well, why do you think it was there in the first place. Body parts, even seemingly insignificant ones should never be removed because someone believes in a magical man up in the skies whose last (if even) recording was ages ago who told them to. My sock puppet tells me to set fire to my neighbors. Does that mean I should really do it?

Anyway, I am not circumcised. And I am glad I am not. If anyone is circumcised and is glad he is, suit yourself.