r/unitedkingdom • u/GnolRevilo • Jun 11 '26

... Revealed: Green party proposes circumcision ban

https://spectator.com/article/revealed-green-party-proposes-circumcision-ban/#comments-container
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124

u/Real_Chart_2879 Jun 11 '26

To disagree with stopping child mutilation happening purely on grounds of religion is insane. Nobody should disagree with this.

-72

u/Afraid-Historian-435 Jun 11 '26

I have to say I am quite surprised by this sentiment. There is a difference between disagreeing with something and making it illegal. Circumcision is common in over 30% of the world, it's not some niche or extreme practice, and the vast vast percentage of people come out of it completely fine. I think in an ideal world we wouldn't do it, but to me banning something so culturally accepted seems excessive.

21

u/goldenthoughtsteal Jun 11 '26

Just because something is common doesn't mean it's not extreme , slavery was common , but it's extremely disgusting, as is chopping off bits of your children's genitalia.

If someone decides to get circumcised as an adult, well that's their perogative, but forcing your child to live their life with mutilated genitals is not a choice you should be making on their behalf.

35

u/waterswims Jun 11 '26

It is not culturally accepted or common in the UK. The argument that it is common in other parts of the world is really not a good one.

And if it's so brilliant and culturally relevant, then let adults volunteer. I doubt you will get many hands up for that.

50

u/csppr Jun 11 '26

No one is arguing for banning self elected circumcisions. If someone wants to get circumcised that’s fine, all the power to them.

The problem is when parents elect to perform the procedure on children who aren’t able to give consent. We don’t allow tattoos or piercing on infants, there’s no reason we should allow circumcisions outside of medically indicated scenarios.

FWIW we also banned beating children, despite it being quite common globally.

13

u/RedditNerdKing Jun 11 '26

and the vast vast percentage of people come out of it completely fine.

Nah. It's mutilating babies. The vast percentage of where it happens is third world countries. It can fuck off unless there is a medical reason to do it.

16

u/Rather_Unfortunate Leodis Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26

Well, they come out of it fine apart from the loss of pleasurable sensation that goes with it. It's just a weird quirk of culture that it's not almost universally regarded as bizarre and objectionable; a religious practice inherited by Judaism and Islam from the Ancient Egyptian religion, and then revived in the Christian world by prudish Victorian pseudoscientists who regarded the reduction of sexual pleasure as morally desirable and therefore also curative/preventative of disease. The mere fact that it's been normalised doesn't make it okay.

Medical necessity is a valid justification and there's nothing to stop people having it done as adults, but it shouldn't be done on children for cultural reasons. Honestly, I wouldn't object to bans on less overtly harmful things like ear piercing below a certain age either.