The root of misogyny (puritanical religious justification)

[Touchdown]

By Anne V. Pyterek*


It wasn't until I became the mother of a son that I thought of circumcision as the root of all evil"or at least the root of misogyny. How could they not grow up and stomp us under their boots after we allow such a hideous, agonizing torture to be inflicted on their freshly born little bodies?

A gestating and newborn person's mother is absolutely everything to him. No matter how much dad talks to the baby in utero, or plays Chopin for him on his violin, no matter how well the baby recognizes other people at birth, mom is still the only one he really knows. Inside out. She is not just the source of life; she is life. Mom is Goddess. Her body is Eden. She is paradise, bliss, and eternity. A minute away from her is an eon of exile and agony. Without her there is no life, only interminable desolation. She looms so large and all-important that he can't see beyond her. And to imagine her as a separate being, or as weak, or as under someone else's influence is unfathomable.

So that's why if something terrible happens, it's mom who allowed it. (In our society, whatever is wrong with a person is usually "their mother's fault.") It is She who betrayed him. There just isn't anybody else. It's Woman who's responsible for Man's fall from Grace"according to the circumcised, Old Testament, patriarchal lot. It doesn't matter who actually does it--they are just pawns, devices, minions, tools, instruments of torture"it's Her Will. It doesn't matter who actually wants it or what the alleged reasons are.

How could a betrayal so huge, so profound, NOT take root in the tons and tons of societal garbage heaped upon the heads of little boys and produce such misogynous crap as wife-beating, witch-hunting, prostitution, pornography, mother-blaming, rape, sexism, endless perversions of every kind, and just general cold, unemotional, not-able-to-talk-about-his-feelings kind of guys? It couldn't.

http://www.birthpsychology.com/birthscene/circ.html#pyterek

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Naw

The root of misogyny starts out much earlier than this.

What this person is writing about - as nearly as I can tell - is bonding, and the resultant separation anxiety. That's hardly news.

Misogyny, though, is an institutionalized response, and its origins - well, think about it, and think about organizations, women, power, and sex.

It's a terribly written piece, by the way, not very good at all. Just my two cents' worth, for what it's worth.

[Inland]

2. It's another circumcision thread.

The article isn't about religion. It's entitled "Circumcision: The Root of Misogyny", on a page about circumcision. There's nothing about puritanical religion or anything else in there.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=468818


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x4773109

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x7199

[Touchdown]

4. It wouldn't exist without the sanctification of it.

So it does apply.

[Inland]

6. It's popular in the US for medical reasons.

And aesthetic reasons.

Nice try, though. Jews are circumcised ritually, ergo, let's put yet another circumcision thread up, this time in Religion and Theology and with a change in title of the article to make it fit. Make sure you blame it on puritanism, too.

Hope the mods move it.

[Touchdown]

8. I put it in here for a reason.

Not one I can divulge just yet. Lay off for a while, will ya?

[enlightenment]

3. So, ALL

wife-beating, witch-hunting, prostitution seeking, pornography viewing, mother-blaming, rapist, sexist, cold, unemotional, 'not-able-to-talk-about-his-feelings' guys are circumcised?

Wow. Who knew we could solve all of those issues just by not performing circumcisions.

Pardon the sarcasm, but that little essay is just a tad over the top.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Wait a minute

I don't think the Puritans circumcized their boys. In Europe it is mostly a Jewish custom. Well, I will admit I really only know about Germany, and they had a reason NOT to be looked upon as Jews. But I am not sure about England. Anyone know?

I know quite a few uncircumsized men who are not "all that" in the emotional health department, shall we say?

[The Magistrate]

7. You Are Correct, Ma'am

It is not a very widespread custom even today, and was considerably less so before about the middle of the last century.

[Touchdown]

9. It's generally been popular with english speaking countries.

It is a throwback to the Victorian/puritanical days of the late 19th century. The Anglican Church never came out and advocated it, but anything to curb masturbation was good. It's offshoots in Protestantism, as well as competitors like the Calvinists in the colonies adopted the practice. It's never been popular with catholics, which most of the continent worships. You're going too far back in history. This is all very recent, jews and muslims excepted.

Countries that routinely circumcised infants in the early to mid 20th century were, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. Of those, only the USA is above 5% of infant circumcisions (currently around 55%).

[Big Kahuna]

10. Being circumcised curbs masturbation?

:evilgrin:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

13. I can guarantee that's not the case AT ALL LOL!

I've only been with circumcised men and OH MY GOSH, were they ever... uh.... well, let's not go there, shall we? O8)

[The Magistrate]

11. But Surely, Sir

You are not arguing that misogyny is a recent development? A recently widespread practice could hardly be its root cause.

[okasha]

12. I have a feeling reason isn't going to enter into this, but

no, a recent practice couldn't be its root cause. Nor could a custom not practiced by some intensely miogynist cultures.

[Touchdown]

14. I'm not arguing that Monsieur, and don't call me Shirley

I'm just putting forth some interesting, albeit incomplete thoughts from a mother who is contemplating why things are, and if something we do as a culture has a cause and effect.

It seems a stretch, but we have found that the unconscious plays a bigger role in our motivations and dispositions than we thought. She may be full of crap, but no more full of crap than that woman from that other thread that says men are useless, because she can peer into the minds of men. ;)

If you consider 6000 b.c. to be recent, then I have no answer for that.