So, as I said earlier, I don't have boys, but I do know that if I were to have a son, I would choose not to circumcise based on *potential* health benefits such as those presented on tonight's segment. Schmickers pretty much summed up my beliefs on the subject - that there are easier, I suppose I would say 'better' ways of preventing STD's - don't shag around and when you do, wear a condom. You're still going to get HIV whether you have a foreskin or not, if you're not practicing safe sex, kwim?

I also personally just don't buy into the 'looking like dad' notion - it just doesn't make any sense to me. No two sets of genitals are identical, and from my POV, most grown men have pubic hair whereas their little sons don't, so obviously Frankie Jnr's bits are going to look vastly different to Frankie Snr's even before the concept of foreskins are brought into the picture, kwim? My DD doesn't seem to be perturbed at all by the fact that mummy has a fairly decent-sized set of breasts and she doesn't, or that I have pubic hair and she doesn't... I just don't know why a parent would be concerned about little Timmy 'looking different down there' than his dad?
My father was 'snipped' as was the 'norm' 50 years ago, but insisted that my brother (who's 20) be 'left intact' and as far as I know, there has never been an issue about what each others' bits look like - a doodle's a doodle's a doodle, right?

I think for me personally, I would not 'mess with nature', so to speak, unless there was an existing medical condition (as in Bathsheba's son's case where there is an actual problem already that could make circumcision a necessity), rather than just the potential for a medical problem down the track (FWIW I have heard of those women with a family history of breast cancer undergoing mastectomies BEFORE being diagnosed and I personally can see why they're doing it, but would never do it myself), kwim?

Of course I respect the individual opinions and reasons of others when it comes to parenting choices, and circumcision is just another one of those choices we make as parents, doing what we think is best for our little ones based on our own history, beliefs, and research. I hope nobody takes my opinions as a judgement or an attack on their choices, I just wanted to put my thoughts out there seeing as I opened this big ol' can of worms

I am curious as to the religious/cultural aspect of circumcision - I know Judaism is the most 'famous' for having their boys 'get the snip', are there any other religions out there that encourage it? And, if I'm not out of line asking this, why? I have wondered a few times about what role circumcision plays in a religious setting, what the reasons for it are, kwim?