Move to make circumcision illegal

In Judaism, the circumscion is required as part of man's formation of a covenant with God. Adult males , who convert to Judaism, must also undergo the circumscion as part of the conversion process.

Adult woman who convert to Judaism are required to go to the Mikvah to complete the conversion process.

Circumscion for males should be evaluated in light of its relgious significance. Jews (8 days old ) and Muslims ( 11 years old ) are required to undergo the procedure by Jewish and Islamic law, respectivey.

Please explain. Do you mean the ritual bathing, dietary, or what? Seems to me it was both.

According to the links the penis is a "system" and is self-cleaning. I am finding it interesting that the parents, in one link, are advised to not "clean" their son's penis or touch it for any reason. For some reason I am agreeing with this. Neither should a woman use a douch (doush, dousch?) as her inner body is also self cleansing.

I am just wondering as this procedure seems such an invasion. But, infants DO remember pain, even if not the act. Babies who are sexually assaulted will be affected, will recall, WILL be mentally and emotionally damaged.

Tex-Star I recall a college philosophy teacher saying: There IS no "authority," YOU are the authority.

Tex-star, right. The other analogy was eyes and eyelids -- you don't need to pull back your eyelids and clean under there.

Tex
A. Mikvah is actually a bath. Women before the get married are required to go to the Mikvah. It is sort of a pool. Also they are required to go there after their period. I think the reason is fairly obvious. As with the circumcision the answer is cleanliness. Remember and where these laws were promulgated.
Should note that although circumcision is almost universally practiced by Jews going to the Mikvah is usually only practiced by the ultra religious.

au, yes, I understand the bath. Seems to me it was a series of baths. Yes, and there was to be no oil rubbed into the skin between. I understand all this. We could all stand such a bath, purifying through the pores. But, how vain we are, feeling so dry after baths, bringing out the oils and lotions. And, how lazy, how busy we are, not to sit in a forest, climb a mountain, to meditate. No wonder we are so stressed out.

The new and the very, very old should touch, someday.

Tex-Star

AU:

Any woman converting to Judaism ( Reform, Conservative or Orthodox) must go to the mikvah, as part of the conversion process.

I don't consider the mikvah to be a "bath". If anything, it's really a pool of very pure and soft water. You shower in an adjoining room and then enter the mikvah room, walk down some stairs, that lead straight into the water.

Heavenly feeling to put it mildly!


It's also expensive. In the Boston area, it can range from $75-$100 per
visit.

New Haven
It is not a bath in a bathtub but the purpose is to cleanse oneself and in essence it is a ritual bath.

New Haven, I take such a bath in my own garden bathtub. It's expensive enough. Oh, a whole pool of such water. That would be very expensive, especially since it couldn't be used twice. Yeah, heavenly.

But, the circumcision. The health community could re-assure that's why a circumcision occurs at all. Thanks for answering my questions.

Tex

AU:
I know. I've had the experience.

TEX:

The process associated with the mikvah is called a Ritual Immersion.
You can't perform such a religious act in your backyard pool.

If you are interested in learning more about a mikveh, go to:

Link to Mikveh

The Mikveh is associated with Orthodox Jewry, and is not usually practiced by Jews belonging to other branches of the religion.

Phoenix32890


Correct.

Many Conservative and Reform Jews do visit the mikvah at their pleasure.

I should know.l

CURIOUS:

Am I the only person this thread to have ever been to a mikvah?

New Haven
I have my circumcision and you have your Mikvah

AU:

So it is!

I feel that if we were born with it, then we should keep it. This is not an issue about whether people are born with a sixth toe or an extra ear. EVERY male is born with a foreskin.

Before you know it, some one will go in for the kill on a doctor/midwife, who cut and tied their umbilical cord, and now they have an outtie when they wanted an innie and vice versa.

This should be posted in Jokes. However, it seems appropriate that i post it here


Subject: Texas Baby
>
>
>
>A Jewish Texan buys a round of drinks for all in the bar and announces that
>his wife has just given birth to a baby boy weighing 20 pounds which even
>for a Texan is atypical.
>
>
>Congratulations shower him from all around, and many exclamations of "Wow!"
>are heard. A woman faints due to sympathy pains.
>
>Two weeks later, he returns to the bar. The bartender says, "Say, you're
>the father of the Texas baby who weighed 20 pounds at birth. How is he
>doing? What does he weigh now?"
>
>The proud father answers, "Fifteen pounds."
>
>The bartender is both puzzled and concerned. "Why? What happened? He
>already weighed 20 pounds at birth. How is it he lost so much weight?"
>
>The Texas father takes a slow swig from his long-neck Lone Star, wipes his
>lips on his shirtsleeve, leans into the bartender and proudly says, "Had
>the bris."

For those that don't know a bris is a circumcision

not so funny.