Originally Posted By DyGDisney I'm surprised by this. Circumcision is a religious law for Jews and Muslims, and should be a personal choice. Seems like San Franciscans would be against such a ban. <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/18/ap/national/main20064169.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...69.shtml</a>
Originally Posted By Labuda Wow. I"m all for people having a voice, but I do struggle with this issue. I mean, I know female circumcision is illegal here, but what about people whose religious faith dictates what they do? It would be horrible to persecute a Jewish family in San Fran for having done what their religion prescribes. OTOH, does anyone know WHY circumcisions were even ever started? How long has it been going on?
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >does anyone know WHY circumcisions were even ever started? How long has it been going on?< Most agree that it was started very early on in human history, after the creation of religion. The reason for circumcision is almost always the same, religious sacrifice. (Harder to please oneself)
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Bollocks. The main reason for male circumcision is cleanliness. It is easier to keep a penis clean withour foreskin, and it is also proven to reduce the risk of cervical cancer in women who have circumcised partners. Both Islam and Judaism have tennents about cleanliness (hence why eating pork is out). A lot of the rules pertain to hygene and survival in hot countries from a time before fridges.
Originally Posted By Labuda Oh, and apoligies to all if this is too much info, but I'll say that in my experience, personal hygeine matters more than anything else when it comes to penile cleanliness.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Well of course - it's the only thing that matters. In my experience, that's one task that no one is going to do for you.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >Bollocks. The main reason for male circumcision is cleanliness.< Yes the "modern reason" is cleanliness and has been since the formation of Abrahamic religions, but the reason for it's start is mostly as a sacrificial form of magic.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost An argument has been made that it came out, through religious channels, to make sure that males would not take the problem in hand...so to speak. Keep young boys pure. I don't believe it stopped anyone, but what do I know.
Originally Posted By Labuda How would it keep a man from masturbating? Is it THAT much better with a foreskin?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Me neither, I was born in San Francisco, where it was standard practice. The Torah and the Quran both teach the imporance of cleanliness (hence the rules on washing for prayer and the kosher/halaal diet regimes).
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >An argument has been made that it came out, through religious channels, to make sure that males would not take the problem in hand...so to speak< The argument has been proven in multiple religions that this is a major reason. >How would it keep a man from masturbating?< The foreskin keeps everything nice and moist making it easier to...stroke, and it also has a cluster of nerves which help with the sensation. So the thought is if you remove the better feeling, and the ease of it then people will be less likely to do it. >Is it THAT much better with a foreskin?< For the woman? Eh, depends some like it some don't. For the man? Most (in non 3rd world countries) won't be able to give you a real answer. They have usually only experienced it one way. Those with it say the experience is wonderful, but those without say the same.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >An argument has been made that it came out, through religious channels, to make sure that males would not take the problem in hand...so to speak< The argument has been proven in multiple religions that this is a major reason. >How would it keep a man from masturbating?< The foreskin keeps everything nice and moist making it easier to...stroke, and it also has a cluster of nerves which help with the sensation. So the thought is if you remove the better feeling, and the ease of it then people will be less likely to do it. >Is it THAT much better with a foreskin?< For the woman? Eh, depends some like it some don't. For the man? Most (in non 3rd world countries) won't be able to give you a real answer. They have usually only experienced it one way. Those with it say the experience is wonderful, but those without say the same.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt This initiative, like so many that pop up from time to time in this city, is silly. I live in San Francisco and most people I've talked to agree. This stuff gets put on the ballot because non-informed voters in a rush to enter or exit the supermarket write their signatures without having time to consider the implications of what is being proposed. Often the recruits brought in to collect the signatures can't even explain in detail what the ballot measures are. On election day last year the City and County of San Francisco had more more ballot measures the State of California, and the majority of them went down in flames. It's all just a waste of time.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder This is yet another example of why the ballot initiative process has to go.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney Boys and men are also less likely to contract bladder infections if they've been circumcised.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>Boys and men are also less likely to contract bladder infections if they've been circumcised.<<< Again, it has more to do with hygiene than anything else. Back when you bathed once a year, whether you needed it or not, it was a concern. In today's world, not so much. In more primitive cultures circumcision was considered a passage to manhood. Symbolically like loss of the Hyman was the transformation of girl to woman.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder <a href="http://www.dickhyman.com/" target="_blank">http://www.dickhyman.com/</a>
