The sacred brit and other myths

The reason why animal rights groups focus on religious slaughter without stunning is because a slaughter without wstunning causes pain and suffering of the animal. It is as simple as that. Any other slaughter has to be performed after the animal is made unconscious and cannot feel the pain of cut (research Massey, New Zealand proved that animals do feel pain even though the author might think otherwise) and the pain of bleeding out to death (many research show that animals do not lose conscioussnes instantly when cut during unstunned slaughter - it might take up to couple of minutes - EFSA, FAWC reports). It is absurd for Jews to say: we can kill animals as we please, because there are animals beig killed. If you want to kill an animal, do it in a way that will prevent it from suffering. Ritual slaughter without stunning doesn't prevent suffering. It has been proven scientifically. Additionally there is no reason for JEws to kill animals without stunning... The question is: why do they CHOOSE to do so?

Damn good article; well-written, unbiased, and well-balanced.

If a government prevents parents from having a minor surgery done to their eight day old baby, how on earth would it justify allowing abortion? How about childhood sports and beauty contests that can inflict physical and emotional harm? Maybe ban those? And I'll bet more kids are hurt from falling off their bikes than from circumcision, so shouldn't government prevent parents from buying kids bikes and encouraging them to ride? We can balance that by governing what foods parents can and cannot feed their children (actually not a terrible idea considering the real society-wide child obesity problem in the west). Of course, none of this will happen, because none are weird practices carried out by "backward" religious people, namely Muslim immigrants.

People concerned with animal rights should go vegan and not participate in the mass murder or animals. There is no humane form of murder. Regarding circumcision , of course all that is possible should be done to ensure that those performing the ritual be qualified to do so. I think that generations of Jews, Muslims and others are living proof that it does`nt cause any long term adverse effects

So you're telling me you want mohels to do a bris like a doctor does a circumcision? By strapping the baby down to a board, and a procedure that takes 20 minutes? As opposed to the baby laying on a pillow, in loving arms, in a procedure that takes mere seconds? Where's the advantage to anyone in that?

I am not a doctor and I am not a religious man. As a Jewish male I am 100% behind the right of Jews and Muslims to circumcise their male children. We Jews proceed with this ritual on the eighth day after birth. Somewhere along our history it was decided that this was the best time to proceed. I have met thousands and thousands of Jewish men and not one ever complained about the procedure. Not one can even remember it. The reason this subject came about in Germany is because an 8 year old Muslim boy suffered complications either because of a botched job or because doing the procedure that late in life requires hospital attention. That boy will remember all his life. 8 day old babies will never realize. The few drops of wine they are given post cut makes them drunk enough to ease the pain.

A great piece! Agree with you fully. People must be free to follow tradition and have the benefit of modern methods.

I am against ritual slaughter due to animal welfare reasons and not Antisemitism. I am vegetarian and when it's about diary I am buying kosher cheese because I know it doesn't contain animal rennet. That simple.