"I find it interesting that in this country we scream bloody murder (pun intended) at the practice of female circumcision, and yet we routinely abuse newborn males (naturally without their consent) by forcing them to undergo this barbaric practice. And religion has nothing to do with it, at least as far as child abuse is concerned. Either male and female children are equal or they are not."
-ghstwrtr

	More on Circumcision News: Rabbis Confront Circumcision Doubts Which faiths perform the ritual? See our circumcision chart. A Jewish Mother Questions Tradition by Lisa Braver Moss The Cut That Almost Wasn't by Nancy Cahners "Why I Perform Circumcisions" by mohelet Dorothy F. Greenbaum Paul Got Christians Off the Hook by Thomas Lynch

"My oldest son I reluctantly had circ'd, and immediately and fully regretted it. My second son is not and I will never allow it again. It's difficult to know I made that mistake for my first son, but we make numerous mistakes early on and hopefully learn from them. I do think religion has to do with it, and for any who sincerely believe God calls them to make such a sacrifice, I uphold their right to make it."
-NancyA

"Having performed many circumcisions, I have been exposed to the whole gamut of attitudes toward circumcision, from horror to apathy. Unfortunately, the most common reason that most people ask me to circumcise their sons is that they believe that everyone else does it too. The minimal health advantages are not compelling. The disadvantages I have heard (decreased sensation, increased masturbation) are even less. I wish that it would be a carefully considered decision for more people! I must vehemently disagree that female circumcision is comparable to male circumcision. Female circumcision is horrifyingly mutilating, often leading to severe infection, urinary dysfunction, and usually makes intercourse and childbearing an excessively traumatic experience for the victim. Do not be led into thinking that male circumcision is at all the same level of mutilation."
-Headscratcher

"I just had a son and had him circumcised only for the reason that I wanted he and his father to 'look alike.' There are options now for pain reduction for the infant and I chose to utilize those options. As far as female circumcision goes, I agree with Headscratcher that it is like comparing apples to oranges. Circumcising women was originally done (as far as I understand) so that the woman would not gain pleasure from sex. It started as a punishment of gender, not an honor to one's god. You cannot compare the two."
-slholly2

"I've got two boys, both of whom remain in the condition in which they arrived, if you get my meaning. I've never understood the boys-looking-like-their-father justification for circumcision. If this is done so that the child doesn't feel awkward, how much time is this boy going to spend looking at his father's penis?"
-Calter2

"Time for more male perspective. I lost my foreskin shortly after birth and never missed it. Most of the boys in the gym shower experienced the same loss; I sincerely doubt any of them missed theirs either. To me, circumcision is a non-issue. If I am eventually blessed with a son, I will have him circumcised, and I think he will be happy he was, as I am. It really is not that big a deal. It isn't mutilation."

-Ed

	More on Circumcision News: Rabbis confront circumcision doubts. Which faiths perform the ritual? See our circumcision chart. A Jewish Mother Questions Tradition by Lisa Braver Moss The Cut That Almost Wasn't by Nancy Cahners "Why I Perform Circumcisions" by mohelet Dorothy F. Greenbaum Paul Got Christians Off the Hook by Thomas Lynch

"I find it difficult to believe there are people out there that think circumcision is a good thing. I was fortunate enough to get past the doctor the way I came into the world. I feel a class action lawsuit is one way to stop this mutilation. God blessed me with three beautiful girls...There is nothing harder to clean than a little girl with a "dirty" diaper. Even through that and all the urinary infections and even kidney infections, the doctor nor I ever once suggested to remove part of any girl's anatomy for the sake of cleanliness. Please try to understand, these little boys have no say in a matter that is going to affect them for as long as they live. Stop and think before you decide to mutilate your child just because he happens to have his organs on the outside where they are easy to get at with a knife."
-rbeegee

"I was circumcised in my early 30s to counteract frequent infections. That came after my sons were circumcised, to which I did not give a lot of thought. For me it was the most agonizing pain I have ever lived with for an extended period. I sure hope they did not feel what I felt. As for female circ (really mutilation) it makes me cry to think of it. I just hope and pray that those who perpetuate it, both victims and perpetrators, will soon come to see the injustice in it."
-Rascal3

"My son was not circumcised when he was born. When he was three he needed to be because of infections. He is now 11 and still remembers the terrible pain he went through. I wish he would have been circumcised as an infant."
-Sheila66

"I just don't see what circumcision has to do with God. Any god. Would God say, 'Here, I have given you this perfect child. Umm, except for that bit there--you're gonna need to cut that off before he's done.'"
-blackirish

"It has been proven over and over again by doctors that there is a greater chance of infection when circumcision isn't performed. Both of my boys were, and it was done when they were days old. THEY DON'T EVEN REMEMBER IT!!!!!! If it was good enough for Abraham, who is the Father of all Nations, then it is good enough for MY babies."
-godsgrace365

	More on Circumcision News: Rabbis confront circumcision doubts. Which faiths perform the ritual? See our circumcision chart. A Jewish Mother Questions Tradition by Lisa Braver Moss The Cut That Almost Wasn't by Nancy Cahners "Why I Perform Circumcisions" by mohelet Dorothy F. Greenbaum Paul Got Christians Off the Hook by Thomas Lynch

"My husband and I decided long before our son was born that we wouldn't circ. I truly do consider it mutilation--it's just a mutilation that (in the US, anyway) has been so common for so long that we've come to accept it as normal. And it is after all surgery, with no guarantee that nothing will go wrong. And of the two options, it's the only one he can decide to reverse when he's older if he chooses to do so. It's possible that I would have had it done, or at least given it more consideration and prayer, if I were Jewish. Entirely different issues there. Part of what I want to teach my son is that what everybody else does isn't necessarily the right thing for him. And even in the US, the rate is down to something like 60 percent now, right?"
-ds202

"In England, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and just about everywhere else except Israel and the Muslim countries nearly all the boys and men are NOT circumcised. If anything, they are healthier in Europe than we are here. More than 80% of all the boys and men in the world are not and never will be circumcised. This includes advanced countries like England, France and Sweden where free, high-quality medical care is available to all. If the health benefits were so obvious don't you think European parents would be demanding circumcision for their little boys?"
-WGSmith

"The medical information available as to whether or not infants feel pain is very debatable. All studies to date are done with subjective evaluations of a baby's cry (a reflex and not an emotional response) or of stress hormones (that are also not necessarily correlated to perceived pain). There is no question about the place of Brit Milah in the Jewish tradition. You can substitute anything you would like, but you are not fulfilling the covenant. By the way, do any of the women who are agonizing over this issue have pierced ears? If so, why is this so difficult an issue for you?"
-hitehass

When we had the bris for my grandson, the mohel (rabbi that does circumcisions) advised my daughter to give him a bottle of sugar water about a half hour before the bris. Since I was the Godmother, as well as grandmother, I watched up close. It was done VERY quickly. He did cry a little, about as much as a child getting a shot. He then slept for 3 hours. It healed quickly.
-harrietb_98