To circumcise or not to circumcise?

[robvalue]

I had no idea anyone would do this just for how it looks.

[account_inactive]

Absolutely not. If you circumcise your child without proper medical reasons, the kid should be taken into care. Decent parents do not mutilate their kids genitals because "it looks better that way". Which I also disagree with as well.

[Losty]

@CL, I think the most important thing is to do a lot of research before you make your decision. Go in knowing the facts. If you then choose to circumcise your son (you don't actually know the gender yet right?), I will think you made the wrong choice but I will not think you're a bad person or a bad mother.

I just want to make clear that I think the circumcision itself if bad, not the parents who have it done. I won't pretend like I don't think it's a horrible thing to do, but I do understand that most parents make the decision with good intentions.

[Catholic_Lady]

I don't know the gender yet. But if it is a boy, he will be circumcised like his dad. Even if I didn't want to, Brian already said he would want it done for his son because he's glad it was done to him.

[paulpablo]

I wish I had been circumcised and I do still consider getting it done now but my motivation to do it is pretty low, I'd have to go out of my way, research it, pay for it, so on and so forth.

When I'm erect my foreskin isn't noticeable so doesn't bother me it's just when it's soft i think it's longer than average slightly so I don't like the way it looks so in that aspect I wish I'd been circumcised and I'd therefore I'd consider my son being circumcised.

Although I have a daughter not a son, plus I live in England so I admit i don't have full knowledge of the implications of the medical procedure or how it works, it's just a case of I would choose for my son to have less of a prominent foreskin than me and if the surgical procedure is relatively cheap and harmless is get it done, I don't see why not.

[Minimalist]

It's basically just forcing something on someone.

Its why the catholicks baptise infants.  They want to get them before they can say "go fuck yourself."

[account_inactive]

I don't know the gender yet. But if it is a boy, he will be circumcised like his dad. Even if I didn't want to, Brian already said he would want it done for his son because he's glad it was done to him.

Why don't you just let the kid make that decision when he's older? If it's a he, obviously.

[Tiberius]

Because it looks better that way. Don't you think?

1) Looks are subjective, and the fact that you've likely grown up used to circumsized penises probably biases your view a little. I'm not saying I'm unbiased, because I'm probably biased in the other direction, but the point is, you shouldn't let subjective reasoning influence a decision.

2) Lots of things "look better" if you change them slightly, but that doesn't mean we should, nor I think does it give the parent the right to do it to a child.

3) Moreover, why would you concern yourself with the look of your son's penis unless it's obviously deformed? I mean, realistically he's not going to be showing it off to anyone for the first 15 - 16 years of his life. The look of it literally does not matter until he meets a girl (or boy) he wants to have sex with, and to be perfectly honest, any person who rejects someone based on the look of their penis is probably not someone you want to have a relationship with anyway.

4) There are numerous studies which say it has some degree of effect on sensitivity, not to mention the risk of a botched procedure, however low it is. Whatever benefits it may give in cleanliness, I can assure you (as an uncircumsized man) that provided you teach your kid to clean his penis, you will not get any infections. You live in America, with access to clean water, soaps, etc.

5) As you are religious, how about a religious based argument: God designed it to be uncircumcized; stop fucking with his design. You're not Jewish, so the fact God told the Jews to circumcize themselves is irrelevant to you.

6) The only reason most men in America are circumsized is because there was a stupid anti-masturbatory movement 100 years ago and they thought circumcision would prevent masturbation. Guess what? It doesn't. So the entire basis for this procedure in modern day America is based off a lie.

7) Despite what people will argue, this is categorically and unequivocally genital mutilation. Doesn't matter that it's a tradition, doesn't matter that there are medical procedures in books that tell professional doctors how to perform it, it's still mutilation of the genitalia. Nobody should be mutilated against their will, especially children.

8) It's a procedure that is irreversible, but can be performed at any time during life. If your son decides he wants to be circumsized later in life, he can get the procedure done, and it will be his decision.

[paulpablo]

Actually just to add onto my previous post, apparently the baby can't be given anaesthetics and the procedure is very painful, I think that changes my mind about it. Not necessarily with absolute certainty but near enough.

I would be willing to get it done myself though still with anaesthetics, it's just the motivation and the time to do it. Kind of like I've always wanted to change my second name and just never got around to it.

[Losty]

Actually just to add onto my previous post, apparently the baby can't be given anaesthetics and the procedure is very painful, I think that changes my mind about it.

I would be willing to get it done myself though still with anaesthetics, it's just the motivation and the time to do it. Kind of like I've always wanted to change my second name and just never got around to it.

It's also millions of nerve endings you lose. If you're going to get it done as an adult I would think before ever enjoying sex is a good idea. So you won't know what you're missing out on.