Circumcision for religious reason is an irreversible religious label on a child and thus this topic deserves discussion.
“There is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised,” God commands Abraham, the Jewish patriarch. “Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” Later, Jesus revised this guidance by saying circumcision is of no avail.
All three Abrahamic faiths (less so for Christianity) believe in circumcision. It is believed that if the male child is not circumcised, something negative would happen to the boy and the child would not be “saved.” Contrary to such beliefs, circumcision is not a practice in Dharmic traditions. Hindu sages would probably have labeled it himsa (violence).
The American Pediatric Association has not recommended universal newborn circumcision, though they have cited benefits over risks. They have stated that the medical benefits alone may not outweigh these other considerations for individual families and that circumcision is an elective procedure. Most other international health authorities also have not recommended routine circumcision.
There is no major medical issue noted for uncircumcised Japanese individuals. Further, personally the author has not heard no-circumcision as an issue with Hindus, especially those who are living in reasonably hygienic conditions. In the USA, the overall rate of circumcision is declining. For example, in the western US, the rate of circumcision in newborns has dropped in the last 32 years from 64% to 40%.
To have foreskin on the penis is not a birth defect to be surgically corrected, rather the foreskin has abundant nerve endings designed to increase sexual sensation. One study using 5,552 men found that circumcision was associated with frequent orgasm difficulties (11% versus 4%) and women with circumcised spouses more often reported incomplete fulfillment of sexual needs (38% versus 28%). When in doubt, why give pain to a newborn child? Why create doubt on God’s creation of skin over the penis?
One needs to keep in mind that the painful procedure of circumcision done to a child (1) is done without his consent, (2) is a violation of his human right according to some people, and (3) may have negative psychological and emotional consequences. If in doubt about scientific merits, parents should let the child decide at an adult age about the circumcision.
The bottom line for scientific merit is that the jury is still out. If it is a matter of faith, an interfaith couple should decide whose faith would rule their married life.
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2.14: Meera versus Margaret: Discrimination of Own Type