LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Circumcision: Practices
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Circumcision was first widely practised by Abraham in 1999 BCE, primarily as a means of indicating membership within his nomadic tribe [1]. However, for reasons unknown, all of the surrounding Middle Eastern peoples immediately adopted the practice and inscribed it in their ancient penile (sorry, er,... penal) codes.
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Circumcision was an essential part of religious practice for the nation of Israel. Is circumcision a required practice for Christians today? This paper examines the biblical evidence and explores the validity of arguments concerning old covenant customs.
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In the traditional “female circumcision” scenario, the child’s female relatives arrive for the African version of tea and crumpets and then overpower the unsuspecting child and pin her to the ground. Then some cackling old biddy pulls out a pair of child safety scissors and starts snipping away. Other favorite cutting devices include a sharp rock, a piece of broken glass, the lid off a tin can – you get the picture. There is no anesthesia, hence the need for all the relatives to sit on the girl’s arms, legs, and chest. Just how much of the child’s genitals gets snipped off depends on the local variant of the tradition. But according to the World Health Organization (who is strongly opposed to the practice), FGM can be divided into the following four categories:
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Christianity does not call for circumcision. The first Church Council in Jerusalem declared that circumcision was not necessary (Acts 15). It is customary among the Coptic, Ethiopian, and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, and ... some other African churches [9]. Some Christian churches in South Africa oppose circumcision, viewing it as a pagan ritual, while others, including the Nomiya church in Kenya[10][9], require circumcision for membership. Some participants in focus group discussions in Zambia and Malawi said that Christians should practice circumcision because Jesus was circumcised and the Bible teaches the practice.
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A word should be said here about circumcision. Any penile lesion in the presence of a redundant prepuce may present a problem and ... invites secondary infection. Phimosis was a common complication of chancroid, and dorsal slits were often necessary, followed by circumcision after the local infection subsided. Phimosis and paraphimosis unrelated to veneral disease were also encountered frequently. Soldiers in combat were seldom able to practice personal hygiene. Higher headquarters sometimes questioned the number of circumcisions performed in the theater, with emphasis on days lost from duty.
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Female circumcision (... known as female genital mutilation) is usually performed for cultural and social reasons by family members and others who are not members of the medical profession, with no anesthesia. Not only is the prepuce of the clitoris removed but often the vaginal opening is sewn to make it smaller. This practice is supposed to ensure the virginity of a bride on her wedding day. It also prevents the woman from achieving sexual pleasure during coitus. Female circumcision is illegal in most countries of the world. It is considered by most people to be a human rights violation.
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