German court rules religious circumcision on boys an assault

[Valmy]

Consent.

Jesus Christ.

I asked my son.  He was cool with it.

[garbon]

Consent.

Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine what hell it would be to be a parent if you had to get your child's consent for every decision you made?

[Solmyr]

Foreskin sure makes it easier to masturbate, though, which is probably why it rubbed Americans the wrong way in the first place decades ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harvey_Kellogg#Drastic_measures

[Valmy]

I guess it never struck me as something difficult to do 

[Ideologue]

Foreskin sure makes it easier to masturbate, though, which is probably why it rubbed Americans the wrong way in the first place decades ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harvey_Kellogg#Drastic_measures

I really like the part of that movie where Bridget Fonda gets fisted by Chief O'Brien.

[dps]

Foreskin sure makes it easier to masturbate, though, which is probably why it rubbed Americans the wrong way in the first place decades ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harvey_Kellogg#Drastic_measures

I really like the part of that movie where Bridget Fonda gets fisted by Chief O'Brien.

It's been a while since I saw that one, but wasn't he just masturbating while watching, and it was the other guy doing the fisting?

[CountDeMoney]

I really like the part of that movie where Bridget Fonda gets fisted by Chief O'Brien.

It's been a while since I saw that one, but wasn't he just masturbating while watching, and it was the other guy doing the fisting?

I haven't seen it since it came out, but it doesn't matter:  Bridget Fonda got fisted, and that was enough.

[Malthus]

Consent.

Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine what hell it would be to be a parent if you had to get your child's consent for every decision you made?

Next up: parents arrested for unlawful confinement - should have waited until the tyke was 18 and concented to being kept in a playpen. 

[Ideologue]

Martinusesque analogies are way fun.

Are any non-dental* purely cosmetic procedures routinely entered into by infants at the behest of their parents and permitted by law?

*And I'm not sure about purely cosmetic dental.

[Valmy]

Martinusesque analogies are way fun.

Are any non-dental* purely cosmetic procedures routinely entered into by infants at the behest of their parents and permitted by law?

*And I'm not sure about purely cosmetic dental.

Exactly how many times do we have to go over the same questions in the same thread?

Anyway ear piercing.

[Ed Anger]

Wait, WAIT! Bridget Fonda got fisted?

[Malthus]

Martinusesque analogies are way fun.

Are any non-dental* purely cosmetic procedures routinely entered into by infants at the behest of their parents and permitted by law?

*And I'm not sure about purely cosmetic dental.

Already answered ...

In any event, the analogy with purely cosmetic procedures is slightly misleading, as circumcision isn't solely cosmetic - unlike pierced ears, it has alleged health benefits.

The real issue is, like so many things, one of reason and proportion. To take a leaf from Marty's book of analogies, surely no doc would or should enable parents to graft horns and an extra eyesocket on their kid, because they thought it looked cool. It would be unreasonable to claim parents had an absolute discretion to do whatever they wanted.

With circumcision, it is you who wish to criminalize it who are being unreasonable. The procedure is trivially minor, the health benefits are arguable either way, and contrary to Dr. Kellogg and DGuller it doesn't stop people from being able to wank. 

[garbon]

This was recommended news for me by Yahoo...

http://news.yahoo.com/european-rabbis-protest-circumcision-ban-berlin-003555232.html

Jewish and Muslim groups have issued a joint call for German lawmakers to protect the right to circumcise boys after a court ruling against the rite sent shockwaves through their communities.

Several Jewish and Islamic organisations said in a statement released Wednesday that they had met with legal and medical experts and European Parliament deputies in Brussels this week to discuss the court's decision.

"We consider this to be an affront (to) our basic religious and human rights," the joint appeal said.

"Circumcision is an ancient ritual that is fundamental to our individual faiths and we protest in the strongest possible terms this court ruling.

"To that end we will vigorously defend our right to maintain our mutual tradition and call on the German parliament and all political parties to intervene in overruling this decision as a matter of urgency."

The unusual joint statement was signed by leaders of groups including the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, the European Jewish Parliament, the European Jewish Association, Germany's Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs and the Islamic Centre Brussels.

They met with MEPs from Germany, Finland, Belgium, Italy and Poland, according to the statement released by the Turkish-Islamic Union.

The June 26 ruling by the regional court in Cologne that circumcising young boys on religious grounds amounted to grievous bodily harm has caused international uproar.

Jewish and Muslim groups had each demanded that the German parliament establish clear legal protections for the rite, calling the issue a matter of religious freedom.

[Barrister]

Just to spite the German justice system I had a circumcision performed on my son last week.

[Iormlund]

Just to spite the German justice system I had a circumcision performed on my son last week.

You should tell him that when he grows up.