How did the idea to start circumcising men or women arise?

You can’t really compare the two, you know. Female circumcision is really more like castration.

I know. That thought really saddens me.

For men it probably started in the Jewish religion. Not sure if it was going on before that? Interesting question.

This question makes my thingy tingle.

@JLeslie I hope it didn’t go much further back…the thought of it being done with someone holding a flint handaxe whose only previous experience was skinning a deer makes my eyes water

@cytonic_horus Yeah, good point. And the Jews were all into things being “clean” so more likely to avoid infection. Not sure of the cultures and the religions before that.

What if it started before flint axes and all they could find was a large rock?

Check this out it’s a lot for me to re-type! :-/

http://www.cirp.org/library/history/

If I remember right (and I’m going back a few years in my memory banks here….they did it in ancient egypt as a rites of passage thing but then the way those egyptians managed to get things out when creating a mummy this would be a snip for them….literally

It is believed that it may have been in existence over 80,000 year ago . . . and yes, with the use of rocks and other primitive tools.

Male Circumcision – History and Recent Trends

@Adirondackwannabe I’m not sure….but I know they wouldnt have been able to shout ohhh Jesus!!! when the rock came crashing down

As the male audience crosses their legs.

@Adirondackwannabe tightly

Not sure about women, but male circumcision is a religious thing, something about a Covenant between men and God in the Jewish faith. Could have been around before that though in other cultures, not sure.

Oh no. I just had a horrible thought cross my mind: teeth.

??? I thought this thread was longer?? :-/

it was for god…...god has one hell of a foreskin collection….he leafs through it on occasion when he needs a good laugh.

Outside of the US it’s done for religious reasons. Within the US it was started by the founder of Kelloggs. He did this in his campaign to make masturbation less pleasurable. Circumcision had nothing to do with cleanliness when it became a main thing in the states. Female circumcision is done pretty much for the same reason, so women don’t feel pleasure from sex. In a female’s case it’s more of castration like it was said before.

@Ajulutsikael Every man I know who is circumcised marturbates, that makes no sense.

I’m not saying the reason started out of common sense. It was a stupid choice where Kellogs thought that by making boring cereal and campaigning for circumcision that it would prevent boys from feeling pleasure from the act.