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Though there is no mention of circumcision in our scriptures. Neither it prohibits it, nor allows it.

Circumcision is often related with jews and muslims customs.

But can a Hindu get circumcised for medical reasons?

Pandya
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user68401
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    Don't use "I/Me" to avoid making a Qn getting misinterpreted and closed as off-topic for personal advice. See the edits. – iammilind Apr 05 '18 at 09:59
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    Changing a question from first person to third person doesn't make a personal advice question to general and Hinduism question. If a doctor is saying to do so and is necessary, you should go for it. No religion forces you to follow it when you are in no position to follow. There are many things to see out side of religion. – Sarvabhouma Apr 05 '18 at 10:06
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    @iammilind Please use complete word "Question" – TheLittleNaruto Apr 05 '18 at 16:15
  • Well for medical reasons obviously you can go ahead with it, for instance people get rid of appendix or even kidney. – Just_Do_It Apr 05 '18 at 18:30
  • @sv. The OP searched if the practice is allowed or prohibited in the religion and know that it neither allows nor prohibits. The main question is if he can perform circumcision or not. Don't add your own questions into others questions. You changed author's original question. – Sarvabhouma Apr 05 '18 at 19:26
  • @Sarvabhouma 'You changed author's original question' - yes I did to make it on-topic. OP has seen the edit and I assume he's ok with it. So what's the problem? – Say No To Censorship Apr 05 '18 at 19:29
  • @sv. OP is a new user. He might not know the rules. Whether OP is okay with it or not is secondary here. Did you contact the OP before changing the post? Don't you know that you should not edit a post which changes the meaning? Edit privileges won't give you right to change the question. You should edit according to help center guidance only. Your assumption may not be true unless he says okay with it. – Sarvabhouma Apr 05 '18 at 19:37
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    @Sarvabhouma 'Did you contact the OP before changing the post?' - is there a help page that requires/recommends this or is this one of your personal rules you expect rest of community to follow? 'Edit privileges won't give you right to change the question.' - it does, to make the question better and fit into a Q&A format for the rest of the community. If OP doesn't know how to write an on-topic question (without all the personal details) there's nothing wrong in showing him how to do it. You are free to take it up on meta or flag to get moderators' opinion. – Say No To Censorship Apr 05 '18 at 20:15
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    'Changing a question from first person to third person doesn't make a personal advice question to general and Hinduism question.' - this is plain wrong. So many personal-advice-like questions have been salvaged on this site to them generic and on-topic so it can be properly answered. If you personally don't like such 'conversions' that's fine. @Sarvabhouma – Say No To Censorship Apr 05 '18 at 20:30
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    @sv. Edit privilege doesn't give you the right. I suggest you to look at help center properly. There is a help page. I don't have any personal rules. I follow help center always. "to clarify the meaning of a post without changing it". You changed the question. Why to make the question on-topic when the changed version is not OP wanted to ask? This is misuse of the edit privilege. – Sarvabhouma Apr 06 '18 at 03:35
  • @sv. If changing a question from I to They is going on on the site, then it is a terrible misinterpretation of the off-topic reason. Questions asking personal advices and "help" in the guise of "They" or "Someone" will also fall under off-topic question. If a question asks a general question with "I", it becomes on-topic. Community should know that. – Sarvabhouma Apr 06 '18 at 03:53
  • @Pandya Hmm....another rollback without leaving a comment? You could've rolled back to Rev. 1 and closed this as a personal advice / off-topic question. But you decided to rollback to Rev. 2. You seem to be very confused how to handle the flag. – Say No To Censorship Apr 10 '18 at 15:12

1 Answers1

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Certain Gurus don't recommend volunteered circumcision as it's not usually required.

In addition to Dr. Tandavan's analysis, HINDUISM TODAY requested Reverend Swami Satchitananda to comment on circumcision:
"There is no mention of circumcision in any Hindu literature, as least as far as I know. Personally, I feel circumcision is against nature. If God wanted that skin to not be there, it would have been very easy for God to not have put it there. [source]

But in general there is no specific religious view on this topic.

There is no reference to male circumcision in the Hindu holy books,[23] and both Hinduism and Buddhism appear to have a neutral view on circumcision.[24] [Wikipedia with internal sources inside]

For medical reasons, one should go for the required treatment, especially when there are no religious restrictions.

iammilind
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  • So it's not against my religion if I get circumcised for medical reason? – user68401 Apr 05 '18 at 09:44
  • @user68401, you are right. Hinduism has nothing to do with circumcision. It's like asking, being Hindu can I use computer if my profession demands? Of course we can. – iammilind Apr 05 '18 at 09:53
  • " It's like asking, being Hindu can I use computer if my profession demands?" So, how is this a Hinduism related or Hinduism specific question? – Sarvabhouma Apr 05 '18 at 10:04
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    The example is for the OP to understand that for medical reason opting for circumcision is right. @Sarvabhouma, circumcision is a very famous custom throughout the world. Hindus do have their opinions on it. Checking Hindu view point about an ancient custom is valid. We have Qns about Hinduism view on masturbation & pornography. Famous cultural aspects are "on topic". – iammilind Apr 05 '18 at 10:08
  • @milind . What makes me skeptical is. Isn't circumcision mutilation of god's creation. As you said if god wanted the foreskin to not be there, why did he even put it there? – user68401 Apr 05 '18 at 11:48
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    @user68401, according to above text quoted by a Swami, "voluntary" removal of the genital skin, which is harmless, can be considered as mutilation. Not otherwise. For example, Many people who have diabetes may have to go with removal of leg fingers, many with appendix have to remove that part from stomach, many with tonsils have to fix that and many tooth ache are fixed only by removal, the patient with slipped disc have to remove the extruded disc and many more ... If there is a bodily need for any part removal, as per medical requirement, the religion won't interfere. – iammilind Apr 05 '18 at 12:28