I don't know whether the practice of circumcision arose from sincere concern for the health of babies being born and raised in conditions less than optimal in terms of hygiene, or whether it arose from the dogmatic, arbitrary and superstitious religious beliefs of illiterate goat herders in the desert.What I do know is that this practice has become the norm in Western cultures. Never mind the ironic self-esteem problems it produces for those whose loving parents have spared them this brutal procedure, the practice of child circumcision raises some very interesting ethical questions:
If there is no clear medical benefit to circumcision (and there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that, at least in developed countries, it is completely useless), is it okay for parents to impose, simply for the sake of some backward sense of social acceptance, what can only be described as a barbaric procedure on their obviously non-consenting boys? If circumcision desensitizes sexual pleasure, can it be compared (in kind, not degree) to the clearly objectionable practice of female genital mutilation?Penn & Teller have a few choice words to share about the issue.
And if you feel self-conscious because you haven't been butchered, there are people who might find you sexy :)
Check out more of Penn & Teller's magic and irreverence.
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Check out more of Penn & Teller's magic and irreverence.
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