06-01-2004, 04:24 PM
The hygiene thing is one of those myths, particualrly for babies - see: http://www.earthtym.net/newborns.htm
The actual reason the US used to push circumcision is twofold - firstly it was thought that it made masturbation impossible, thus the young men wouldn't be corrupted, and secondly the Nazi's identified jewish males by the fact that they had been circumcised, and if all males were done in the future, this would remove any stigma attached to the jewish males. (a large number of the doctors in the US were jewish, and the US had a close tie to the jewish immigrants)
The health argument was brought about by doctors attempting to justify the practise after the dangers and cruelty was being noticed and questioned..
The actual reason the US used to push circumcision is twofold - firstly it was thought that it made masturbation impossible, thus the young men wouldn't be corrupted, and secondly the Nazi's identified jewish males by the fact that they had been circumcised, and if all males were done in the future, this would remove any stigma attached to the jewish males. (a large number of the doctors in the US were jewish, and the US had a close tie to the jewish immigrants)
The health argument was brought about by doctors attempting to justify the practise after the dangers and cruelty was being noticed and questioned..