German Court Bans Circumcision

I would have thought that as a result of their history of horrifying anti-Semitism that the courts in Germany would be particularly sensitive when it comes to laws that discriminate against Jewish believers. Yesterday, however, a German court in Cologne effectively outlawed the faithful practice of Judaism within its jurisdiction when it ruled that infant circumcision was illegal. You can read the story here.

There is no requirement that Christians circumcise their sons but as believers we should be sensitive to the excessive entanglement of secular states in regulating what is or is not appropriate religious practice. While some regulation is both necessary and reasonable, this kind of intrusion into a core religious practice of Jews (and many Muslims) that has been recognized and carried out for thousands of years should be troubling to us.

Perhaps this is simply the case of a court not thinking through the broader implications of its decision but this kind of intrusion of the secular state into religious practice does not bode well for personal liberties (religious or not) within that society. I pray that the churches in Germany will send a clear message that they oppose the state interfering in this area. If they fail to do so history has shown us that the next knock may be upon their own door.