What are some strange historical practices that have persisted?

 Probably the practice of circumcision. I mean it’s an ancient Biblical tradition started by a nomadic desert people that, due to their lifestyle, frequently went weeks without water and were therefore unable to wash as often as needed. From a hygiene perspective, it makes perfect sense for the Israelites to do it, and for other desert-dwelling tribes such as the Arabs to later follow their example.

But as a European man, it’s kind of ridiculous to me? Because any man with access to water and a shower can easily clean that part of his body. It’s not necessarily cleaner, or better or what-have-you… even from an aesthetic perspective, I really haven’t had any complaints. Like apparently in countries like America it’s a big deal, for some reason, the whole “cut versus uncut” debate. And in the Middle-East, it’s a big reason for religious reasons — something that’s no longer the case in North-America, due to the fact that Jews and Muslims make up only a small part of the population.

Then there’s parts of Africa, and parts of Asia like the Philippines where circumcision is seen as a “rite of passage” into manhood. Here the concept is divorced from faith in most cases, it’s a cultural practice. And then there are many, many places in the world, like India, China, Europe, Russia, Latin America… where it really isn’t “a thing” at all and unless one is Muslim or Jewish, it simply isn’t done and isn’t seen as ‘the default’ the way it is in North-America.

Circumcision is a strange historical practice that has persisted through the ages. It serves no real purpose, aside from some superficial cosmetic reasons, in much of the modern world. Hygiene really isn’t an option, all it takes is some soap and water and you’ll be every bit as clean. Plus you maintain more nerve endings and thus greater sensitivity by keeping all parts of one’s dangly bits in their original state. So yeah this is a strange one for me, being a European man from a Christian background. It’s funny how something so near-universal among American men is such an alien concept to virtually all European men.

The religious explanation, too, is rather silly to me — God created Adam in His image. So every part Adam was born with, being the first man, is a part God Himself possesses. This means that if all men are born in Adam’s image, and therefore are designed after God, God Himself has a foreskin. Unless, of course, God got circumcised, too. I’ve actually brought this up with a priest one day, a family friend. Solid guy, eloquent, never short for words… and this one made him pause and think. He couldn’t answer me.

Truth be told, it’s a strange and rather illogical practice, if you ask me… but one where too many people are attached to for superficial reasons like: “It was done to me and I’m fine so I’ll do it to my son, too.” Nah let’s just, let babies keep all their body parts, people. Maybe let someone decide for himself if he’s old enough which parts he wishes to lob off or keep instead of removing stuff out of habit simply “because it’s the default”.