Con_Alma;798017 wrote:There are many things a parent chooses for their child that they have no choice in.
Naturally, but alterations to the physical body (an alleged infringement of rights) is not typically in that category.
I can see the point with this. However, your point hints at the reason I am still okay with circumcision.
When I was 10, a boy in my elementary school class had a tattoo. It was a religious tattoo that he got as a baby. I wanted one, too (not the religious one, but just a tattoo). My parents had the right to say "no."
I would contend that as long as the parent has the right to say no to something, they also have the right to say yes, especially if there is a beneficial purpose behind it. With circumcision, even though the foreskin is not that difficult to clean, it can increase the chance of infection if not kept clean properly, and I guarantee that I would not have kept it clean properly growing up. Kids are dirty. They'll lie to you about brushing their teeth or taking a bath. Do you think they will be responsible about keeping Private Peter Johnson's turtleneck clean? That's a risk that is up to the parents, and given that it is done prior to when a person remembers, I don't see the problem with it.
Con_Alma;798017 wrote:I wonder how the religious component might play in this as mentioned earlier regarding the Jewish people.
If it wasn't going to get shot down without them, I believe it definitely will be with them in the mix (even many Christians still hold a religious view of circumcision).