Originally Posted by tore (Post 1110050)

Why not? It's something people don't agree on that affects the lives of millions, including participants in this discussion. You can discuss it on several levels, for example on religion, ethics, medical consequences or culture.

As for how trivial it is, that depends. Perhaps most think it's trivial, but there is the occasional complication and clearly there are people who feel that circumcision has drastically reduced their sexual function.

Norwegians generally don't circumcise, but I still feel it's a very interesting subject and something that people should think and read about before they decide whether or not to have the procedure done on their own children.

Originally Posted by Janszoon (Post 1110045)

I think you may have missed what I was getting at with that question. The point wasn't "to make a fair comparison", it was to question where the line is between what is acceptable and what isn't when it comes to parents having surgical procedures done on their children.

Originally Posted by Pedestrian (Post 1110052)

Ah, well fair enough. On a related note, is foot-binding for aesthetic/religious purposes still a fairly common practice? It's a valid example, but not culturally acceptable to us.

Originally Posted by Tuna (Post 1110047)

Why are people so passionate about this topic? Is it really that big of a difference either way? I doubt it.

Originally Posted by Pedestrian (Post 1110052)

Ah, well fair enough. On a related note, is foot-binding for aesthetic/religious purposes still a fairly common practice? It's a valid example, but not culturally acceptable to us.

Originally Posted by Il Duce (Post 1110168)

is it actually "mutilation"? is it even "surgery"? it's more like extracting a tooth

Originally Posted by Il Duce (Post 1110168)

same here - it's just a piece of skin

is it actually "mutilation"? is it even "surgery"? it's more like extracting a tooth

Originally Posted by Tuna (Post 1110051)

I'd much rather have my foreskin gone than my pinky toe for what its worth

Originally Posted by tore (Post 1110216)

No offense, but talking foreskins, do you know what you're missing? Obviously, the fact that it's hard to remember what it was like to have a foreskin before you ever really got sexually active is someting that contributes to making the issue seem trivial. When I write "you" here, I don't mean you specifically, but people who were circumcised at a young age. I feel like my foreskin does a lot for me sexually which is why I'd keep it over my pinky.