Tau

Heres a little history about circumcision that isn't widely known.

John Harvey Kellogg was a holistic doctor in the late 1800s and ran a popular "spa." (my great great grandmother would go every summer!)

He was convinced that masturbation was the root of all delinquency in men - such things as alcoholism, rape, thieving, murder, etc....

His cure for masturbation was a diet steeped in nuts and whole grains (and he went on to develop a breakfast cereal with his brother as a result - yes, he is one of those Kelloggs!) and circumcision in boys without anesthetic!

"A remedy for masturbation which is almost always successful in small boys is circumcision. The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anesthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment."

In order to get his idea to catch on, he fell in league with family doctors - and together they published flyers that detailed the signs of a future adult delinquent. Traits to look for in your young boys include such things as: biting fingernails, fidgeting, absent mindedness, etc....

Mothers were understandably concerned and flocked to their doctor to get their boys circumcised.

Now, Kellogg was an American - and this phenomenon was pretty much limited to our country. That is why circumcision, among non Jewish males, is so common here - and not in other countries around the world.

Having heard all of this background - doesn't it seem silly to cut off a part of the penis just because our parents did it?

The whole "unclean" and "gross" nonsense has always bewildered me. Smegma doesn't really develop until just before puberty anyway. You're not supposed to retract the foreskin before its ready - and cleaning the penis is just as labor intensive as cleaning an elbow.

Women and girls have JUST as much discharge as boys and uncircumcised men do - but we certainly aren't thwapping off our lady parts just to avoid some bodily fluids. :rolleyes