Woman, who
says she will not physically harm her son, must pay £86 a day until the
operation is done, rabbinical court says
theguardian.com,
Associated Press in Jerusalem, Thursday 28 November 2013
A Plastibell device, which can be used to circumcise very young boys. Photograph: David Levene |
An Israeli
woman has been fined by a religious court for refusing to circumcise her infant
son.
The
rabbinical court ruled last week that circumcision was for the child's welfare
and that the woman must pay 500 shekels (£86) a day until the child has had the
procedure. The woman told the court she refuses to physically harm her son.
The case is
the first time a religious court in Israel has punished a parent for refusing
to circumcise a child. There is no law requiring circumcision in Israel, but
the vast majority of Jews are circumcised, in line with Jewish law. Rabbinical
courts have authority over certain family matters.
The justice
ministry, which is representing the mother, said on Thursday it would be likely
appeal the case to Israel's supreme court.
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Question: Dear
and beloved Kryon: What should we know about "Brit-Mila" (Jewish
circumcision)?
Answer: All circumcision
was based on commonsense health issues of the day, which manifested itself in
religious-based teaching. That basically is what made people keep doing it.
This eighth-day-from-birth ritual is no more religious today than trimming your
fingernails (except that Brit-Mila is only done once, and it hurts a bit more).
It's time
to start seeing these things for what they are. Common sense is not static.
It's dynamic, and related to the culture of the time. Yesterday's common sense
about health changed greatly with the discovery of germs. It changed again with
practices of cleanliness due to the discovery of germs, and so on. Therefore,
we would say that it really doesn't make a lot of difference in today's health
practices. It's done almost totally for cultural historic and traditional
purposes and holds no energy around it other than the obvious intent of the
tradition.
This is
also true for a great deal of the admonishments of the Old Testament regarding
food and cleanliness, and even the rules of the neighborhood (such as taking
your neighbor's life if he steals your goat, or selling your daughter in
slavery if you really need the money... all found in scripture). The times are
gone where these things matter anymore, yet they're still treated with reverence
and even practiced religiously in some places. They're now only relics of
tradition, and that's all. If you feel that you should honor a tradition, then
do it. If not, then don't. It's not a spiritual or health issue any longer.
Be the boss
of your own body and your own traditions. Follow what your spiritual intuition
tells you is appropriate for your own spiritual path and health.
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