And circumcision
POSTED BY: BYTEMITE
UPDATED: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 00:27
VIEWED: 2816
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It's a western civilization thing, which means Europe - even the places in Europe where it wasn't so prevalent still had more incidence of it than say the far east or most of Africa (as only a select few tribes of Africa do this). Only Muslims do more circumcisions, but Muslims weren't around as long as Jewish folk in Europe have been.
But all right then, England, if you insist.
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Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
It's a western civilization thing, which means Europe - even the places in Europe where it wasn't so prevalent still had more incidence of it than say the far east or most of Africa (as only a select few tribes of Africa do this). Only Muslims do more circumcisions, but Muslims weren't around as long as Jewish folk in Europe have been.
But all right then, England, if you insist.
I think you have the entirely wrong idea about Africa. Or circumcision as a Western civilization thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_circumcision
Quote:
Male circumcision is most prevalent in the Muslim world (near-universal), parts of Southeast Asia and of Africa, the United States, the Philippines, Israel, and South Korea. In contrast, it is rare in Europe, parts of Southern Africa, and most of Asia and Oceania.[5] In Latin America, prevalence is universally low.[6] The WHO states that "there is generally little non-religious circumcision in Asia, with the exceptions of the Republic of Korea and the Philippines".[5]
Many countries in Africa have over 80% circumcision rates, some over 90%.
In Europe, the majority of countries are below 20%, with only the Balkan region between 20% and 80%, some of those countries being majority muslim.
It may seem petty to insist on this, but it really would reflect an incorrect cultural attitude in Europe toward circumcision, past and present, with the exception of that trend in Victorian England, but even in the UK it's below 20% these days.
I only find this important in terms of the interesting contrast between Western countries that embraced non-medical, non-religious circumcision and those that didn't.
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Jerusalem: built 4000 BCE
Judaism: circa 3000 BCE
Jewish predecessors make Jerusalem their seat of power: 1000 BCE
Mohammed unites tribes of Mecca and Medina: 622 CE
Jerusalem conquered by Muslims First Time: 634 CE
Jerusalem traded around a lot resulting in waves of expulsions of Muslims and Jews and Christians and Jews. Many Jews migrate into Europe.
Jerusalem conquered by Turkey and it sticks: 1517 CE
Judaism becomes a fundamental part of the landscape of western civilization.
Circumcision associated with western culture.
Western civilization becomes the predominant culture around world via various European Empires.
English Empire is the last European Empire, and English experience a renewed interest in the practice in the 1900s.
I think we're arguing two different though valid interpretations of the same basic facts.
It's not practiced much by Europe or even the UK, but it is also not inaccurate to associate it with Europe and western civilization, particularly the Jewish aspects of that history.
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Quote:
Originally posted by BYTEMITE:I think we're arguing two different though valid interpretations of the same basic facts.
I suspect that is very much the case. I'm not sure I agree with your logic on this, still, but it would just derail the thread. Let's just drop this tangent, then. On to other circumcision-based discussion! :)
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No problem. :)
I'm not sure anyone else is going to comment? I was hoping to hear from some people and get some opinions.
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Well, I'm always ready to stick it in the wringer (pun oh so horribly intended!) but I don't have a lot to SAY given you two covered most of the interesting ground already.
As with just about anydamnthing else, my default position is let the kid themself decide once they're old enough to make a properly informed decision and leave well they hell enough alone prior to that.
As for FGM, my brain kinda locks up at even the very notion and concept, just falls into a "WTF-IS-WRONG-WITH-YOU?!" loop and kinda sticks there, cause I simply cannot even conceive of the notion of sex without winding up the girls clock till it rings, so to speak, I mean... isn't that the whole effing POINT of non-procreative sex, really ?
Or am I just completely missing something here ?
*confused*
The only analogy I can even throw at it is removing the wheels from your car before trying to drive it, why just WHY?
Okay, I can't even think about it no more, I just keep getting snarled in the WTF loop, sorry.
-Frem
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Oh I can think of reasons, none of which fall into the warm fuzzy category.
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I can only say that there was no way I was letting that happen to my son when he was a baby.
No longer very popular here, unless you are doing it for religious reasons.
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Meh. No big deal. I had enough to spare, so it's not so much an issue.
Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen
Resident USA Freedom Fundie
" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall
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Within these religiosity groups there could be alliances
One group mutilates the genitals of little boys the other group mutilates the genitals of little girls
One of them calls their animal torture ritual 'Kosher' the other calls their animal torture rituals 'Halal'
Both of them want Dual Citizenships and Open Border?
Female genital mutilation in Imo state alarming-UNICEF
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/female-genital-mutilation-in-imo-state-a
larming-unicef/
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