circumcision is a surgical procedure, and as such, would require someone's written authorization. since jews historically do not proselytize (or baptize infants to claim them for christ, as has been done by certain religions through the ages), and the muslim influence would have been nonexistent at the time of your birth (nor do muslims proselytize), it's probably dear old mom. she may have been influenced by someone; in past years circumcision was widely accepted as the modern, hygienic, scientific thing to do by middle- and upper-class americans of all faiths.
My older brother was circumcised in 1958, when he was born in this
country to my non-English speaking mother. He was subsequently
circumcised
WITHOUT written consent from either my mother, OR
my father.
My younger brother and I fortunately escaped this (
RELIGIOUS,
according to some faiths) observance that Europeans consider
barbaric.
Thank you for pointing out that Jews do not baptise their infants
to claim them for Christ, I was actually a bit confused on that.
No,
to keep their covenant with God, people of the Jewish faith
tear off the foreskin of the male infant on his eigth day as
commanded to Abraham by God.
Christians keep their covenant by sprinkling water on the baby's
head as it is believed was commanded by Christ. Some denominations
will submerge an adult in a body of water.
There is another yet interesting twist to Religious circumcision
(which historically the Christians forbade).
It is called
Metzitzah b'peh.
It entails a practice carried out by the practitioner, or
mohel.
After the tip of the boys dick is cut off, the mohel who
performs this procedure takes the boys bleeding dick into his
mouth and sucks the blood to clean it.
He then, with his lips, applies some sort of herbal mixture
to the wound.
Rabbi Yitschok Fischer of Brooklyn New York has performed
over 1,200 of these procedures.
In 2003- 04, three boys who had their dicks sucked by the
rabbi contracted type-1 herpes. It's non threatening to
adults, but deadly to infants with no immunity and one
of the boys subsequently died (that has been recorded).
Despite attempts by Mayor Bloomberg and the health department to abolish the ritual,
no concessions were made on the part of the Orthodox Jewish
community as they cited the "right of religious freedom"
and the practice continues. Fischer, however, was
placed under court order to discontinue his services.
1,200 circumcisions.
Who out there is'nt convinced that this guy wasn't simply
into suckin dick in the guise of some barbaric practice
that exculpated him from any sense of guilt as he indulged
in his pleasure?
It's true, however, that Muslims do not proselytise.
If the Qur'an is questioned or mocked, the perpetrator
may have a death sentence placed upon him, a death
sentence (or
HARAAM ) that is condoned by Muslim religious leaders OF OUR MODERN ERA
as in the reknowned case of Salmon Rushdie who illicited
a death sentence upon himself when he brought to light
pagan deities whom religious scholars said were allowed
intercessory prayers alleged by certain passages in
the Qur'an.
Apostasy,
"riddah", in Islam is a major sin and many
Islamic texts call for immediate execution for the sinner.
I can go on and on, but I don't think the readers would
appreciate it.
Since religious customs were brought up in your post,
I thought I might just point out a few but very valid
differences.
