No, it wasn’t judge Roland Freisler, but a modern district judge (viz., government lawyer with a fancy title) in Cologne.
If applied generally of course, the ruling would have the effect of criminalizing the practice of Judaism.
Some secularists cheered the decision.
I wonder how many of the backers of this law — including the judge — support the killing of an seven-month-old viable fetus? Just wondering.
I’d suggest that next, they pass a law requiring that all Germans eat pork, but then I realized that thanks to the U.S. Supreme court, you can only force people to do things like that in America. Jews don’t have to eat pork. They can just pay a huge tax if they don’t do it. It’s under the taxation power of the constitution, doncha know.
Personally, I’m against circumcision,which I regard as immoral mutilation, but I’m also against totalitarianism.
Using the same justification as this judge’s decision, one could also call for the outlawing of certain diets for children. If the government decides that fat is bad, then no fatty foods for children. How about vegetarian diets only? It’s all in the name of what’s good for the children. Or religions that mandate vegetarianism should also be outlawed via similar laws. How about jailing parents for declining vaccinations or certain medical treatments for religious reasons? Or any reason?
Another logical step here is a law stating that that merely teaching children religion is child abuse. I’ve known atheists who think this, and to support a law of this nature is to support a situation in which the state decides what children are taught and what they are not — even in the home. This is known as totalitarianism, but you won’t hear it called that.
On the flip side of the anti-circumcision debate of course, one could argue that parents who don’t circumcise their boys are negligent. That’s at least what’s suggested by the World Health Organization which states that circumcision helps combat the contraction and spread of AIDS. The WHO also recommends infant circumcision.
So, who is right? The WHO or the German government? Is circumcision unnecessary or does it combat STDs? Perhaps the state can determine your motivation for getting the circumcision. Or, the state can just outlaw Jews getting circumcised, since they’d be doing it for the “wrong” reasons. Maybe Jewish parents who want to do it for medical reasons can get a special chit from the government? It could be a little yellow star that they could sew on their shirts. I’m sure getting the state involved will sort this all out and make society more just.
11:47 am on July 7, 2012
