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It is indeed only prevalent among Jews and Muslims - and the old British empire. Legolas Send a noteboard - 06/10/2010 10:38:07 AM
Well, just a wild stab, but my guess would be either American Indians or you guys, and I'd bet on the latter. The real question is why it became so prevalent outside Jewish and Islamic cultures if it was so unique to them (though in some ways making the distinction between "Hindu Indians" and Indians in general robs that stat of its punch; the high populations and prevalence of Islam in India, Pakistan and Indonesia mean there are plenty of circumcised non-Americans. ) There's certainly no religious basis for it among Christians; the NT is VERY clear on that (I believe it's Peter (:P) who at one point expresses the wish that those demanding Gentile circumcision would "go all the way" and castrate themselves. :P)

One presumes Americans took it from the Jews and not from the Muslims, but as to why, I don't think there's a single explanation. Wikipedia suggests that it had to do with somewhat primitive views on germs in the early 1900s on the one hand, and on the other hand with preventing masturbation. Though it also says, somewhat surprisingly, to me at least, that only 60% of American male babies are circumcized today, and the sources seem to disagree significantly on how high the percentage was at the time when it was most prevalent, from 70% to over 90%.

In Australia, it was apparently quite prevalent in generations past, but is falling quickly now. In the UK, it never was dominant but was more prevalent in the past than it is now.
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/of sorts. Culture in general. And more specifically, American culture. - 04/10/2010 07:32:29 PM 997 Views
Before answering that question, answer: "What is culture?" - 04/10/2010 07:48:40 PM 798 Views
Re: Before answering that question, answer: "What is culture?" - 04/10/2010 08:12:19 PM 702 Views
The foreigner POV - 04/10/2010 08:17:24 PM 789 Views
Thanks. This is what I was looking for. - 04/10/2010 08:22:40 PM 694 Views
Re: The foreigner POV is fun to read - 05/10/2010 03:14:00 PM 690 Views
LOL - 05/10/2010 08:13:39 PM 578 Views
- 05/10/2010 08:38:52 PM 563 Views
When I think of American Culture... - 04/10/2010 08:29:09 PM 768 Views
just a list? - 04/10/2010 08:31:19 PM 706 Views
How about traditional American values? - 05/10/2010 01:43:07 AM 849 Views
isn't that a bit misleading? - 05/10/2010 07:52:18 AM 782 Views
I never said they were unique to American culture - 05/10/2010 02:36:25 PM 636 Views
yes but we have more of it - 05/10/2010 02:50:53 PM 704 Views
- 05/10/2010 03:10:18 PM 562 Views
Do you know why it is rude to ask someone if they are from Texas? - 05/10/2010 05:53:19 PM 683 Views
ilu2 - 06/10/2010 04:13:47 AM 795 Views
I don't live in Gary. - 06/10/2010 04:25:36 AM 732 Views
It's part of IN though. - 06/10/2010 04:30:23 AM 759 Views
Good thing, too. He died recently. - 06/10/2010 10:13:26 PM 615 Views
Word (concept) association with "American culture" - 05/10/2010 09:57:07 AM 687 Views
i think those are pretty indicative word associations. *NM* - 05/10/2010 03:08:08 PM 291 Views
Indicative of what? *NM* - 05/10/2010 08:47:44 PM 317 Views
american culture? - 06/10/2010 04:50:27 AM 688 Views
Some of that may be more European than American culture. - 06/10/2010 04:20:16 AM 656 Views
But circumcision is a hot topic in the US - 06/10/2010 05:42:25 AM 711 Views
It is? - 06/10/2010 06:51:31 AM 749 Views
You're wrong about the default for circumcision the world over - 06/10/2010 07:44:40 AM 719 Views
That surprises me, but alright. - 06/10/2010 10:00:14 AM 680 Views
It is indeed only prevalent among Jews and Muslims - and the old British empire. - 06/10/2010 10:38:07 AM 751 Views
And, apparently, most of Africa. - 06/10/2010 11:46:32 AM 876 Views
I really don't think it is much of a hot topic here - 06/10/2010 09:37:50 PM 860 Views
You make a good point about tipping - 06/10/2010 09:58:10 AM 695 Views
I disagree - surely tipping is much more internationally widespread than some others in that list. - 06/10/2010 10:43:32 AM 660 Views
Re: I disagree - 06/10/2010 07:41:14 PM 780 Views
I don't think I disagree with that. - 05/10/2010 02:57:36 PM 742 Views
btw, I obviously think this is a good post. Fun. - 05/10/2010 03:21:21 PM 654 Views
sounds a lot like the America I know *NM* - 05/10/2010 05:55:27 PM 301 Views
Is the first part of that statement even true? - 05/10/2010 04:45:36 PM 631 Views
Hm. Interesting. - 05/10/2010 05:43:19 PM 612 Views
I think it is - 05/10/2010 06:00:18 PM 671 Views
Point! - 06/10/2010 06:02:33 AM 597 Views
Right! - 05/10/2010 09:42:20 PM 718 Views

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