Even though I can understand Rabbi Lau's angry comment, just note that we have been doing everything that Germans and everyone else finally care and protect other people rather harming them. I'm Jewish, observant, my sons were of course circumcised, but I can understand that it is a difficult subject for non-Jews. It is even difficult for us harming a baby, but G-d asked us to circumcise, so we believe it's the best and we do it. We used anesthesia cream for our sons, it's allowed and they slept during the entire brit. I hope the German government will respect religious freedom (and the law will most probably be in favor of the circumcision procedure) and stop quickly this awful furious discussion of so many people just waiting to find something to criticize Jews.

What the h...? I have never thought about this because of the following reasons: A: experienced Doctors/urologists aplenty. B: this situation will simply never come to pass, because the Jewish people are not likely to die out soon and neither is the medical profession.. We can abstrahize into eternity, but I would like one simple foothold into reality for the sake of conversation.

I don't think that in a democracy there can be such a big rift between the general opinion of the public and the government. In the end people elect them and therefore governments usually mirror the society they rule over. What sort of equipment did the German government send, that made Iran turn into a killing machine? Please give some examples, because this would be an important information. Thanks.

Thank you for your polemics. If you read my comments over time you know that I define myself Jewish by Culture and reject Jewish religious prescriptions. Plus, I am an Israeli citizen waiting to go back when the religious hold on the country is removed. Until about 200 years ago Culture and religion were one and the same. They parted ways since then and religion continues to be based on believing in g. Secular are those who do not believe, as far as I know. So, if you are secular, as you say you are, and believe in human progress, I see no reason why you are still following ancient religious prescriptions. I favor outlawing circumcision because it is performed without the newborn's permission, it mutilates him, it is irreversible, causes infections, and creates sexual dysfunctions later in life. But if you must circumcise, by all means use precaution and have the procedure done in a hospital by an MD.

incapable to think straight. Circumcision of kids is a irreversible intervention into the human body, without that the kid have the possibilty to decide! Thats the only truth, the rest is nothing but religious mania and vanity..

1. Michael is an apostate Jew 2. Circumcision by a doctor is not binding. There are thousands of Christians in US who are circumcised in the hospitals by doctors. Does that make them Jewish?

Dear Rabbi Lau, Germans do not only care about a Jewish baby's cry but also about the cries of Muslim babies who represent the vast majority of circumcised boys here. May I remember - the Cologne Court Ruling was a reaction on the case of a 4 years old muslim boy who had to be narcotized in hospital 4 times after circumcision complications. Well, was that boy bodily harmed by the circumcision or not? Do you really think a modern democracy should allow that harm is done to children? When parents beat their children in Germany, police will knock at the door. Germany has signed the UN Children Rights Convention and therefore authorities are obliged to check if children rights are challenged in our country. To protect children from harm is one of the central demands in the UN Children Rights Convention. Perhaps more and more people around here see children as subjects and not as objects. That is pretty far away from your Nazi-image of Germany. You know very well that circumcision is also questioned in Israel and among US Jews. What do you tell Israeli and US Circumcision opponents? You won't wave the antisemitism card there. Do you tell Israeli and American Jewish parents that their baby boys don't feel pain when circumcised? Best wishes from Germany - Robert Levin

"The Germans, Swiss, Americans are correct and they will prevail." - Over my dead body will I let the evil that plagued Europe during the 40's come back in the form of xenophobic people like you. There's no scientifical reason behind a ban, since science actually backs up the benefints of circumcision vs not being circumcised. This is a witch hunt, in refuting both science and religous freedom.

checked.

mostly. The quote is "Religion is the opiate of the masses" by the way.

When Israel stops arresting women for wearing prayer shawls at the Wailing Wall, then maybe rabbis can preach to some other country about religious tolerance. People in glass houses should not throw stones...

every ethnic jew male infant subject to go through "surgery", which have claimed lives or dislimb infants, in honor "imaginary friend". where the rationale in this? how about let the person grow and decide for himself ?

so ho the hell are you? You have not identified yourself on these boards before. I do challenge you: why is circumsision by a mohel binding to qualify?

After centuries of perscecusion & murder of Jews, (by caring Christians) they are still here, standing strong, are succesfull & growing as a people, proves that this "mutilation' is working.

Germany has been and remains the greatest threat to world peace today! I fully agree with Rabbi Meir Lau's comments about Deutschland.

Why do Jews insist on living in countries not Jew friendly?!?!? Not I ! Those who went back were delusional.

should have the right to genitally mutilate children Whatever the excuses they put up. It is wrong to mutilate someone who cannot give their consent on the grounds of religion, and it is no an acceptable argument to say "But we have always done it". Cannabalism used to be acceptable, it isn't now

Perhaps the Rabbi should reflect on why Jews choose to still be there in the first place.

and worry about controlling your racism and your muslim friends. This law is stupid as are the germans. They are using it as political ploy to bash Jews. Once a nazi always a nazi. These ingrates will never change.

Get educated, if you can read. Bigots like you ,are always looking for ways to bash us Jews. Go stop your racism and hate, that would help humanity!!!!!!!!

in advanced countries like germany science trumps belief; go to israel for your rituals

The same way, a non-circumcised atheist jew... is a jew

I'm not quite shure if the matter itself had been raised due to antisemitism. But the discussion in the media reflects some prejudice against the jewish people. Maybe the matter was raised by doctors, so they can make money by performing the operation themself.

Everybody except the few who complain on behalf of the future adults and compare circumcision to female ablation of the pleasure organ are mistaken because the main issue here is pleasure, but only the non-circumcised can understand the matter. The covering on the pleasure organ is removed in males, not the organ itself, so the savagery of the procedure is diminished. In the fully-equipped male the "glans penis" that the foreskin protects is so sensitive that going around with the foreskin pulled back is unbearable, due to the friction against the clothes. A circumcised male who sunbathes naked will cause an extremely painful sunburn on the unprotected "glans penis". Circumcision desensitizes that part of the male organ, and this is unfair and should enrage all males who were mutilated at a time when they were unable to object. So, Germans are not addressing the main issue, which is not the causing of pain during the operation, since there are ways to avoid the pain, but the eventual desensitizing, and observant Jews are also mistaken, in that they have been made to believe it's a sacred injunction. Reading all the Sacred Scriptures will show that the original message has been distorted and that later additions have caused endless suffering. Henry of New York says most males are mutilated in the U.S., which seems to imply that this lends legitimacy, but he fails to point out that it's still a controversial practice. The reason for doing it is hygienic: the smegma that the inner lining of the foreskin exudes is made responsible for causing seroius problems in the partner, but this is easily avoided by daily washing. Moreover, the female apparatus also produces smegma (a natural lubricant). The intention is not to offend but to offer helpful insights to the blind who are being led around in circles by the blind.

Rabbi Lau's ridiculous emotionally charged comments which include reference to the holocaust and the gestapo do not serve any purpose at all in this discussion. They just make any potential solution more difficult to achieve. It's about time he realized that the Germany of today is very different from the Germany of the 1940's and indeed Germany today is a great friend of Israel despite the fact that it continues to absorb the venom of Rabbi Lau and his ilk. It's about time he shut up. We're fed up of hearing his useless commentaries.

I think that its very meaningless to talk about the past in that way,The German citizens are one of the most positive populations for the Israeli Nation.

I , a secxular atheist , would have my sons given a Brith Mila . It's not only religious , but it also means that you belong to the Jewish people . And what if your eventual son asks you : Papa , why did'nt you make me a Jew ? Mohelim who perform Brith Mila often have more experience than an urolog who do it once in a time .

first of all with all the respect i do have for you i'm not agree with you i do have friend hows care about jewish baby . where i do agree with you it is most of time doctors are responsible of any unkosher brith mila. and to close my coment i did saw inmany country where i used to lived people of all kind of age in the emergency service that only circoncision could save them for the future of there sexual relation. may G.D blessed you and all the people that you love

It is a bit immature to refer everytime again to Antisemitism, as if there are maybe not good reasons for such questioning: circumcision can cause infection when the mohel sucks the blood. On top if that the child cannot decide on this; abd this because if 5000 year old rules? Religion should be in the spirit not in some dead rules..