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Reader comment on:
Oregon Supreme Court To Hear Debate On Circumcision
in response to reader comment: Consider the victim

Submitted by Georganne Chapin, Nov 8, 2007 11:47

The father (and it appears the court) is conflating circumcision as a religious rite with a parent's right to consent to medical treatment on behalf of a minor child. With regard to the former, circumcising a twelve-year old does not make him a Jew, any more than leaving him intact has any bearing on his religious identity or beliefs. With regard to the latter, the legal principles underlying proxy consent (e.g., consent to another's treatment) are quite stringent -- and are limited to medical emergencies or cases where the life or health of the patient is at stake. Boldt's son does not NEED to be circumcised to save his life or health. Therefore, his circumcision is either (a) a religious rite impelled by his own, not his father's, religious conversion, and probably not relevant until he is able to articulate it as an adult), or (b) an elective medical procedure, in which case the standard for proxy consent is not met. Either way, the court must rule that the boy be left intact.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
there are jews in israel that do not practice brit mila or Circumcision http://www.tapuz.co.il/tapuzforum/main/forumpage.asp?forum=202 and in the US http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21113459/ It is his body... [MORE]	sd Modiin Israel	Dec 2, 2007 17:08
What about the religious freedom of the child? Why aren't his wishes concidered? Could Muslim parents circumcise their daughter in... [MORE]	Joe in CA	Nov 8, 2007 05:17
The boy is only beginning to formulate his own worldview, which may or may not include religious beliefs. It is... [MORE]	Hugh7	Nov 8, 2007 00:19
I am a victim of male circumcision performed in childhood without personal consent or adequate therapeutic need. I bitterly resent... [MORE]	John Dalton	Nov 6, 2007 10:51
The father (and it appears the court) is conflating circumcision as a religious rite with a parent's right to consent...	Georganne Chapin	Nov 8, 2007 11:47
This sorry excuse for a father wants to treat his son like a cocker spaniel whose tail will be docked.... [MORE]	Barry	Nov 6, 2007 09:48
Oregon Supreme Court should be wary of James Boldt's allegation that he wants his son circumcised for religious reasons. When... [MORE]	Michael Glass	Nov 6, 2007 06:33
I am more than a bit suspicious of Mr. Boldt's motivations in this issue. If the boy truely wants to... [MORE]	Frank O'Hara	Nov 6, 2007 22:51