Does anyone out there know how the whole circumcision thing got started? I feel cheated. Someone has taken it upon themselves to "improve" my body without my consent. Of course it's hard to miss something that I can never remember having, but still...

My little buddy got's no protection.

I'm also just a little curious about how people with intact foreskins piss. Do they have to pull that sucker back before they go or just let fly? The pictures I've seen of foreskins show it covering the entire glands area of the penis, so they must need to pull it back or something before they go. If they didn't, I would think they could get a lawn sprinkler effect when they piss. Anyone out there who's "intact" care to comment?

Don't they cut it because it's suppose to stay cleaner?

I'd like to ask why you were looking at pictures of men's foreskin, but I'll restrain myself, as to not add any further embarrassment.

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Originally posted by Bogey Man:
I'd like to ask why you were looking at pictures of men's foreskin, but I'll restrain myself, as to not add any further embarrassment.

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I am not embarrassed at all. These are legitimate questions, and I in no way expressed a sexual preference in my post. I looked at pictures of men's foreskins because I wished to learn more about what I had lost. Yes, I can look at a picture of a penis and still enjoy the company of women! If this is a problem for you, then I would suggest you stay as far away from other men as possible. You just never know. The next one you even look at might give you "the gay." Please don't project your insecurities on to me, thank you.

As for your comment about it being "cleaner" to have the foreskin removed, I don't know. I posted this question in a religious forum because circumcision usually goes hand-in-hand with some religions. I'm just wondering how it all got started.

It has to do with Yahweh's covenant with the Jews. It started with Abraham, who I believe sacrificed his forskin in place of his son.

It is believed by some to be cleaner, but I don't have problems with it, although you might if you don't bathe.

I usually do pull it back a little when I piss, although it often is naturally positioned so that I could do it fairly straight without pulling it back. It doesn't take any extra effort, though. You have to hold it anyway.

Thanks for the good post VeneFrigus.

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Originally posted by ytrewq:
Does anyone out there know how the whole circumcision thing got started? I feel cheated. Someone has taken it upon themselves to "improve" my body without my consent. Of course it's hard to miss something that I can never remember having, but still...

My little buddy got's no protection.

I'm also just a little curious about how people with intact foreskins piss. Do they have to pull that sucker back before they go or just let fly? The pictures I've seen of foreskins show it covering the entire glands area of the penis, so they must need to pull it back or something before they go. If they didn't, I would think they could get a lawn sprinkler effect when they piss. Anyone out there who's "intact" care to comment?

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Not intact, but if I ever got my hands on that Doctor! Anyway I have 5 sons and not one is circumcised, here's some info:
(Quote from:http://www.cirp.org/news/1997%3aMothering/ )

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Circumcision started in America during the masturbation hysteria of the Victorian Era, when a few American doctors circumcised boys to punish them for masturbating.

Victorian doctors knew very well that circumcision denudes, desensitizes, and disables the penis. Nevertheless, they were soon claiming that circumcision cured epilepsy, convulsions, paralysis, elephantiasis, tuberculosis, eczema, bed-wetting, hip-joint disease, fecal incontinence, rectal prolapse, wet dreams, hernia, headaches, nervousness, hysteria, poor eyesight, idiocy, mental retardation, and insanity. In fact, no procedure in the history of medicine has been claimed to cure and prevent more diseases than circumcision. As late as the 1970s, leading American medical textbooks still advocated routine circumcision as a way to prevent masturbation. The antisexual motivations behind an operation that entails cutting off part of the penis are obvious.

The radical practice of routinely circumcising babies did not begin until the Cold War era. This institutionalization of what amounted to compulsory circumcision was part of the same movement that pathologized and medicalized birth and actively discouraged breastfeeding. Private-sector, corporate-run hospitals institutionalized routine circumcision without ever consulting the American people. There was no public debate or referendum. It was only in the 1970s that a series of lawsuits forced hospitals to obtain parental consent to perform this contraindicated but highly profitable surgery. Circumcisers responded by inventing new "medical" reasons for circumcision in an attempt to scare parents into consenting.

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Careful anatomical investigations have shown that circumcision cuts off more than 3 feet of veins, arteries, and capillaries, 240 feet of nerves, and more than 20,000 nerve endings. The foreskin's muscles, glands, mucous membrane, and epithelial tissue are destroyed, as well.

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Female partners of circumcised men do not report a lower rate of cervical cancer, nor does circumcision prevent penile cancer. A recent study shows that the penile cancer rate is higher in the US than in Denmark, where circumcision, except among Middle-Eastern immigrant workers, is almost unheard of. Indeed, researchers should investigate the possibility that circumcision has actually increased the rate of these diseases.

Circumcision does not prevent acquisition or transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In fact, the US has both the highest percentage of sexually active circumcised males in the Western world and the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. Rigorously controlled prospective studies show that circumcised American men are at a greater risk for bacterial and viral STDs, especially gonorrhea, nongonoccal urethritis, human papilloma virus, herpes simplex virus type 2, and chlamydia.

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No one has the right to cut off any part of someone else's genitals without that person's competent, fully informed consent. Since it is the infant who must bear the consequences, circumcision violates his legal rights both to refuse treatment and to seek alternative treatment. In 1995, the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics stated that only a competent patient can give patient consent or informed consent. An infant is obviously too young to consent to anything. He must be protected from anyone who would take advantage of his defenselessness. The concept of informed parental permission allows for medical interventions in situations of clear and immediate medical necessity only, such as disease, trauma, or deformity. The human penis in its normal, uncircumcised state satisfies none of these requirements.

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Other resources:
Circumsicion Resource Library
Doctors Opposing Circumcision
NOCIRC

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Originally posted by VeneFrigus:
It has to do with Yahweh's covenant with the Jews. It started with Abraham, who I believe sacrificed his forskin in place of his son.

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Many of the modern Jewish 'religious' conventions stem from their history, in the same way that their culture does.

I've read that back in the days when the Israelites lived in the desert, sand getting under your foreskin could be a major problem, and with stuff like dickcheese, aka smegma, the risk of infections and whatnot would have been very high. Circumcision would have been a great way to deal with this, and it was so important that it became part of their culture, then folklore, and eventually religious doctrine.

This also accounts for the ban on eating pork because it's 'unclean' (somebody say salmonella?). Islam, which evolved in a desert environment, has the same ban, presumably for the same original reason.

its trichinosis (sp?) actually...

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Originally posted by ytrewq:
I am not embarrassed at all. These are legitimate questions, and I in no way expressed a sexual preference in my post. I looked at pictures of men's foreskins because I wished to learn more about what I had lost. Yes, I can look at a picture of a penis and still enjoy the company of women! If this is a problem for you, then I would suggest you stay as far away from other men as possible. You just never know. The next one you even look at might give you "the gay." Please don't project your insecurities on to me, thank you.

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My question was also legitimate, how was I suppose to know if the question popped in your head while viewing certain materials, or if you viewed the certain material after the question popped into your head?
Since when was curiosity a crime?

There's a lot of jewish religious customs that are just common sense stuff. I heard that using a separate knife to cut meat and veggies, or keeping dairy stuff separate, I can't remember exactly.

They wouldn't have known about the microbial details, so it probably stems from lessons learned the hard way; in the early days, when it was thought that demons harrased humans for having poor culinary habits. Then it just evolved into "god's will".

Circumcision (why can't I spell that right now?) was an ancient Judaic practice due to the fact that they didn't have running water. So, people didn't bathe quite as often and men were more susceptable to infections in their you-know-whats, so they removed the foreskin, that way dirt and gross wouldn't get crusty under it and cause the infections.

The Egyptians didn't follow this practice and these sort of infections got the Egyptian a lot (more often. It's not like not having foreskin is a sure way not to ever get an infection). So, the Jews made getting a circumcision sort of a Judaic right of passage as a Jew and called it a brisq.

But, the practice spread to Europe due to problems with venereal diseases. Of course circumcision wont keep you from getting or transmitting VDs, but they didn't know that then and it became a common Western practice.

Now, though, that we have running water (generally) and know that it doesn't stop VDs, the only reason for circumscision - really - is tradition.

Cheers,
Lost

What age does it take place (jews)?

You, of course, all are aware that Jesus's own foreskin was/is a Holy relic that use to be displayed in a European Church before it was stolen in the 1980's....

(this is a silly true story, and I can give the details if anybody is interested...)

I wasn't circumsised. It doesn't do anything bad to me. Nope. Still goes in a straight line. And everything is A-Ok.

Circumcision is not at all common in Europe, why would you suggest that? (Not you Piccolo)

i'm not circumcised, and i pee just fine. only time it doesn't work right is when you finish pissing. if you don't peel back afterwords then you'll end up with piss in your pants.(sorry for being so graphic)