posted on Aug, 31 2010 @ 11:00 PM
The willingness to believe the first thing you hear in here is astounding, and appallingly ignorant. The practice, called metzitzah bapeh, is from the
ancient body of Jewish tradition called the Talmud. The Talmud says the practice is medical, not religious. There is no spitting of the blood into a
wine glass, and so nobody is drinking baby blood, although some mohels have put wine in their mouth in an attempt to sterilize their mouth. This is
probably based off of the Torah recommendation to pour wine into any water that you are unsure of, and the water will likely become o.k. to drink. The
Torah recommendation is fairly effective, the use of wine to sterilize your mouth isn't effective.
That actual purpose of metzitzah bapeh was to promote clotting, so that the baby wouldn't lose too much blood. This actually works to a degree. It's
not great, but it's a fairly smart idea 2000 years ago, or even 500 years ago. At the least, it's a more effective medical practice than using
arsenic and leeches for everything. The vast majority of rabbis agree that it is not a commandment, and most of orthodoxy has moved on from this, as
it is no longer as productive as other options. It isn't a bizarre blood ritual, it's primitive medicine. And no, not witch doctor medicine, there
isn't any superstitious belief behind it.
The Talmud said that if two of your sons had medical complications as a result of circumcision, then your children are no longer required to have it.
Jewish logic would dictate that if medical complications arise in children all circumcised by the same mohel, then that mohel can no longer
circumcise. Sadly, some horrible things have happened because of metzitzah. These things haven't happened because of maliciousness or negligence,
they have happened because of ignorance and a reluctance to change tradition. Everyone is slow to change what they're used to. Most of us hate
change. On a conceptual level, nothing makes us different from them.
I think everyone in this thread should reflect on their lack of logic, and the idea that everything that could relate to sex, must relate to sex. If a
female nurse gives an elderly invalid a sponge bath, is that sexual for her? Maybe, but most of the time, no. If a mother breastfeeds her child, is
that raunchy and perverted? Of course not! Actually, some women find themselves aroused while breastfeeding. It's fairly normal, and it doesn't mean
that the act of breastfeeding is directly sexual for them. So if that instance when a woman finds herself aroused while breastfeeding isn't
perverted, why would a mohel be perverted for performing metzitzah when it DOESN'T arouse him? He does it for tradition, not sex, for a tradition
that was thought to promote health. Although it can be an uncomfortable experience, do you consider yourself molested every time you go to the
urologist, or the gynocologist? It isn't molestation if the intent is to promote health. Sure, the tradition is outdated, maybe even foolish, it
isn't disgusting and wrong just because it is strange to you. That's relative.
Back in medieval times, up to the 18th century, and even later, a horrible lie was spread about the Jews. People said that they poisoned wells and
kidnapped and murdered Christian children to use their blood to make matzah. This, of course, was untrue, considering that blood isn't even kosher.
Rational people believed it, just because they heard it. That lie has killed tens if not hundreds of thousands of Jews throughout history. The lie is
still spread in the Middle East. Anyone who believed the lies on this forum without thoroughly checking their facts is guilty of a lesser version of
the same thing. How does that make you feel?
Did nobody even check wikipedia? Did anyone even google Brit milah, or metzitzah? How about seeing what orthodox Jewish websites have to say about it?
No, we just all jumped on the slander bandwagon.
[edit on 31-8-2010 by happysatan13]