Musings on War and Circumcision

Cindy is very concerned about the war in Iraq. She abhors violence of any kind. She cannot understand how one human being can kill another human being. To her, cruelty of any type – physical or psychological – is the Original Sin of this planet named Earth.

Not that she is sure there is such a thing as Original Sin mind you, but it seems to her that war and killing are the two main things that have consistently dotted our history books since Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden – not that she believes that story is exactly fact either!

Cindy has no idea what the solution is to the war in Iraq. She just knows that the killing has to stop. Not only the members of the Armed Forces from various countries, including Cindy's own country, but the civilians of Iraq are dying in hundreds – day after day.

People are also dying of famine and disease in many other countries. The rich get rich and the poor get poorer as the saying goes. Life becomes a disposable commodity. Yet the Readings this week tell us that God treasures each person more than hundreds of birds and God loves each little bird also.

The killing has to stop...

We who are stamped with the Light of the Holy Spirit must care about the senseless death and dying happening in our world because of our cruelty and hatred towards each other. It has to stop. The killing has to stop. The killing of our unborn, the killing of our elderly, the killing of the spirit in our children through child abuse, rape, indifference.

Circumcision also mentioned in this week's readings...

The daily Readings this week mentioned a topic that always gets Cindy's blood boiling. The topic of Circumcision came up again when the early Christians wanted the followers to also follow the Jewish custom of circumcision being a necessity.

Who the hell ever thought up this barbaric practice in the first place? Did Adam stand in the Garden, look at his 'twinkie' and say to Eve – I'll chop a bit of this off? I don't think so. There is historical recording of the origins of circumcision and a Google search of that title brings up ample information.

Circumcision is an insult to God's creativity and perfection.

Why would God have created male beings with a foreskin if it did not serve some good purpose? We don't cut off our eye lids that protect our eyes, so why cut off the foreskin that protects the glans of the penis. It doesn't make sense, just another form of cruelty of one creature upon another that seems to have been going on forever. History records the African people followed the routine practice of circumcision before the time of Abraham.

A Google search says Abraham himself was not circumcised.

Fortunately in our Western civilizations, this barbaric practice is losing favour. Mothers are not so keen to have their babies mutilated so soon after delivery. The last 30 years has seen an amazing decline in the popularity of this cruel and unnecessary procedure.

Theories are advanced that women are less likely to develop cervical cancer if married to circumcised men. This has never been proven definitively.

The shocking loss of life through war, and the senseless mutilation of human beings through circumcision. – WHY? To control the population maybe?

Female circumcision is perhaps even more barbaric if that is possible. It is performed in some cultures for no other reason than to deprive the female of sexual pleasure. A power statement by males who believe they have the authority to dominate women and control even their sexual pleasure.

Cindy gets furious over these topics. War – killing – child abuse – circumcision.

During Cindy's earlier life when she was nursing in the 1960's and 1970's, she was frequently called upon to restrain male infants while they were circumcised, commonly nick-named 'the chop'.

No anaesthetic was used. The child was unable to move as their arms and legs were held down by one or two assistants during the carnage. The screaming from the infant was horrendous, sufficient to cause brain haemorrhage. Mothers, in their innocence, would cover their ears so they could not hear the noise, believing they were doing the right thing by subjecting their babies to this procedure. For sure there are many men around who find it difficult to forgive their parents for having them mutilated so soon after birth.

Haemorrhage and infection are not uncommon medical complications following this procedure. In fact babies suffering from Christmas disease – more common amongst Royalty – have difficulty with their blood clotting. 'The chop' was often the first time this anomaly was noted. Sadly these babies tended to die of sanguination following this horrific unnecessary procedure – they simply bled to death.

The Google search tells us that the ratio of boys circumcised to boys preserved intact continues to decline in America. In 2001, it had further declined to a ratio of 55 percent circumcised, while the percentage of boys preserved intact had risen to 45 percent.

Meanwhile, St Michael's prepares for its annual fete this weekend. Hopefully the rain will hold off on the day!

In conclusion, Cindy clearly remembers a very new doctor years ago, making a terrible mess of a circumcision and leaving a poor little mite with a frilly dilly.

Further reading: A History of Circumcision: www.cirp.org/library/history/

Adam and Eve image sourced from
www.bible-study-online.juliantrubin.com/biblejokes/adamevejokes.html

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Cindy the Sacristan is the pseudonym of one of the long-time members of our community. In real life she has spent many years in a voluntary capacity as sacristan in a large outer suburban parish.

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