Circumcision and Religious Liberty in Northern Europe

Last week the Danish Medical Association released a policy statement that discourages doctors from performing circumcisions on infant boys. While the group does not currently recommend making the practice illegal, it does signal a growing trend among northern European countries in that direction.

The Danish statement emphasizes the principle of “informed consent” (informeret samtykke) and a person’s “right to self-determination” (ret til selvbestemmelse), especially since the procedure is permanent. The decision should be left to the individual “when he has come of age” (når han er blevet myndig).

There are significant religious liberty concerns at stake for minority communities: in a recent year, less than 2,000 circumcisions were performed in Denmark, mostly among the country’s Muslim and Jewish populations.

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