Catholic theology since the Second Vatican Council has increasingly emphasized that God's covenant with the Jewish people remains valid. It has never been revoked. This covenant includes infant male circumcision.
Roman Catholic Church
Pope Pius XII taught that circumcision is only "[morally] permissible if, in accordance with therapeutic principles, it prevents a disease that cannot be countered in any other way."
Barring religious obligation, there is little to recommend routine neonatal male circumcision.
There was no significant difference of MC prevalence among non Muslims. The MC prevalence was 10%, 20% and 11% among Catholics, Protestants and Adventists respectively. Eighteen percent of the men who attended school were circumcised while only 9% of the men who never attended school were found to be circumcised.
It has long been the belief of Muslims that an uncircumcised male is unclean and that the foreskin may harbour disease. Some Muslim jurists have ruled that marriage to an uncircumcised male is void and that such a person cannot be buried in a Muslim cemetery.
Despite the fact that Christianity does not require circumcision of its followers, some Oriental Christian denominations retained the practice of male circumcision, and males are generally required to be circumcised shortly after birth as part of a rite of passage.
The commandment to circumcise was a covenant made with Abraham and is recorded in Genesis 17:10–14, reading: 'And God spoke to Abraham saying: … This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and thy seed after you — every male child among you shall be circumcised.
Islam is the largest religious group to practice male circumcision. As an Abrahamic faith, Islamic people practice circumcision as a confirmation of their relationship with God, and the practice is also known as 'tahera', meaning purification.
How common are Circumcision? 30% of men are circumcised Worldwide. In Ireland, that number is even lower, and this is generally thought to be a result of embarrassment.
The possible medical benefits of circumcision include: A lower risk of HIV. A slightly lower risk of other sexually transmitted diseases. A slightly lower risk of urinary tract infections and penile cancer.
As in all other European countries, male circumcision is uncommon in Italy, a country with a strong Catholic heritage that values and promotes the integrity of the human body.
Among the non-circumcising nations are Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia, the U.S.S.R. , China, and Japan. People employing circumcision do so either for "health" reasons or as a religious ritual practiced by Muslims, Jews, most black Africans, non-white Australians, and others.
Circumcision has no justifiable benefits and is in fact harmful – from pain and suffering, to surgical botches, to reduced maternal-child bonding. Medical authorities throughout the world consider circumcision medically unnecessary and unethical.
Amish who do not practice circumcision have a low rate of autism. Somali immigrants in Sweden practice circumcision and have a high rate of autism compared to Swedish children.
For Muslims, male circumcision is performed for religious reasons, mainly to follow the sunnah (practice) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Moreover, there are attempts to label it as a contributor to cleanliness / personal hygiene. These are done largely to grant the practice scientific legitimacy and a moral foundation.
The Jewish circumcision age is 8 days
Baby boys are traditionally circumcised at 8 days old. If the child is unable to be circumcised on this day the ritual waits until the child can undergo the medical procedure.
Back in the 1950s, roughly 80 per cent of Australian men and boys were circumcised. That rate has steadily decreased and now, around 20 per cent of Australian newborns are circumcised. This is largely due to developments in modern medicine.
In Australia today, fewer than 20 per cent of boys are circumcised. When considering circumcision for your child, you should be aware of the possible risks and benefits. Circumcision may offer health benefits, although these may be too small to justify surgery. There are different methods of circumcision.
In China, the nation with the largest population in the world, circumcision is generally treated as a selective medical intervention to treat some diseases; only 2.66% of males have been circumcised, and EIMC is not a traditional practice, except among Muslims, who account for < 3% of the population [14].
Most Christian faiths, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have no formal position on the procedure. In fact, the Book of Mormon specifically states that the law of circumcision "is done away" in Christ.
European countries consider newborn circumcision an unnecessary surgical procedure which increases the costs of operating nationalised health systems, whereas in the US, circumcision is generally considered a simple, rapid operation with medical benefits which accrue throughout life.
Most Jewish and Muslim boys are circumcised and a minority of Sikhs, Hindus, and Buddhists .
But what is also widely agreed upon by both biblical accounts and contemporary evidence is that the Greeks loathed circumcision, with Greek art emphasizing the purity of the human form and the inclusion of foreskins on males. As the Greeks spread their influence in the ancient world, circumcision became less common.
[10] This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. [11] And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.