July 10, 2012
An Age of Consent for Circumcision?
Introduction
Jerome Favre/Bloomberg News A court in Cologne, Germany, recently ruled that parents could not have boys circumcised unless there is an urgent medical need.
Should other jurisdictions follow this example, with laws to delay the procedure until boys can decide for themselves and give informed consent? Or would that infringe on Muslims, Jews and others who consider infant or childhood circumcision important?
Read the Discussion »Debaters
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Let Boys Decide at 16
Medically unnecessary operations should be delayed until a patient is capable of deciding for himself. That's basic ethics.
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To Jews and Muslims, a Disturbing Proposal
Infant circumcision was among the first commandments given to Abraham in the Book of Genesis.
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In Parts of Africa, H.I.V. Complicates the Question
According to the World Health Organization and others, only adolescent and adult patients must consent; parents can sign off for infants and children.
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An Issue of Religious Liberty
Civil law neither requires nor forbids this procedure. That’s the way it should be.
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Boys Should Be Protected, as Girls Are
The Supreme Court long ago ruled that laws "cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinions, they may with practices."
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