Angela Merkel intervenes over court ban on circumcision of young boys (in Germany)

[riderinthestorm]

99. Well since we've already established that government actually DOES stick its nose into other peoples

business. And you've agreed on at least a half dozen examples (out of an entire panoply of other examples that could be brought up) of why that's okay and necessary, even as it infringes on religiously sacrosanct practices (polygamy, slavery etc) or even impinges on cultural norms (foot binding, FGM etc.)

Do you really think its appropriate to call anyone who may object to this kind of infant genital MUTILATION, an authoritarian? (since we're getting sticky about definitions and all....) We as a society have decided these issues and come to certain legal conclusions about them. Is society "authoritarian" when the government interferes with child brides for polygamous religious groups? Or is it authoritarian to interfere when the government steps in to charge someone with mutilating a dog by cutting off its sheath? Can outlawing these kinds of cultural and religious questions fall under the rubric of "authoritarianism" for "sticking their noses" into personal business?

Or is that simply societal norms that are ever evolving and changing?

There was an era when slavery was a common societal norm. But nosy governmental type "authoritarians" decided to outlaw it. Damn them eh? Damn those "authoritarians?"