To further elaborate,

We have used religion as a crutch and religion should be respected for the OVERALL good that it has done. Humans are beyond pointless wonder. The path to the truth lies in continuous advancement in knowledge and it will not be in our lifetime ... we likely have a millenia or 20 to gain understanding. It is our responsibility to contribute the best we can ........ Jesus was 2000 years ago ... not to sound crude but ... get with the times

God may or may not exist, I personally do not question that, neither side has proof that is beyond debate.

I believe that humans are driven by their own ego and can not accept that they are not the center of everything. I believe that the truth lays beyond our grasp at this point in time, as it has for as long as we have been around. Human ego is why most adaptations of god are centered around the human form; why extraterrestrial beings are almost always modeled off of the human form.

Human religion is nothing more than the creation and continuous modification of civilized society. While religions have done great harm, the overall goal is to be better each generation and that is what makes religion necessary. We would not be where we are today if it were not for religion.

We have advanced to the point where religion is starting to pull human evolution backwards. Each generation strides forward and is leaving the teachings of religion in the dust.

"It is pretty clear to me that xyze's answers are straight forward, not allegorical."

Like many debates, statements that are not well put together are often left open to interpretation. This is one of them. I never said his argument was great, I just do not think it is invalid because of your Interpretation.

"Their are many of things that parents can no longer make their own decision about."

^^

There ... oops.

Back to the topic at hand.

Example?

-Parents were once able to discipline their kids how they saw fit. There are very strict laws now that limit not only what parents can do for physical discipline but verbal as well.

- Female circumcision was outlawed in 1997.

- Parents of any faith or for any circumstance are not to allowed give their child (under the age of 21) any alcoholic beverage (including ceremonial wines.)

- Any adult can be criminally charged for having him "get me a beer". Same thing with sending your kid to the store.

- Parents are no longer allowed to make the decision if a child is allowed to smoke cigarettes. While smoking in general is a bad idea it is still a decision a parent use to be able to make for their children.

I think that circumcision is a dated practice that needs to stop unless a licensed physician says that the procedure is medically necessary.

AAP's (American Academy of Pediatrics) 1989 statement reaffirmed the previous position that there is no medical indication for neonatal circumcision.

The current policy statement of the AAP is the 1999 Circumcision Policy Statement. The AAP does not recommend routine circumcision of the newborn. The statement emphasizes the need for well-informed consent of the parents (plural).

Basically the medical world is saying there is no need for it leaving routine circumcision a cosmetic procedure. Insurance companies are in the beginning phases of removing circumcision as a covered procedure without an underlying medical need.

Philosophy is the only side that attempts to remove preconceived notions of religions, not just Christianity. Fact of the matter is that no one can confirm, nor deny the existence of god. However, evidence is overwhelming that all religions contradict themselves in attempts to explain it all.

Religions are necessary to give those who choose not to deal with the fact that its quite possible that there is no reason why we are here.

Without going in to great research it is safe to say that all religions speak of an afterlife. Why do we want this afterlife so bad? because life is kind of tough for most people and it gives us a sense of relief that death is not the end and things will get better. Without an after life many would not be able to see a reason for living.

Terminal: Situated at the end or extremity of something.

Everyone is going to die, we just do not know how, when, where etc. Someone who is medically terminal has been diagnosed with a condition that will end in death. Facing a death sentence, people should have the right to bypass the pain and agony of a prolonged or even short illness.

From a scholarly perspective, anytime someone adds "god" as justification to an argument of their opinion, your opinion becomes pointless.

Yes their are religions that say it is a sin to take your own life. There are others that suggest it is honorable to go out in your own way. You may reply defending your religion over the others but in the end it gets no where.

Why does your religious beliefs trump my rights as a human being? You have your religion which says YOU can not euthanize yourself, so follow the rules. There should not be a law enforcing religious beliefs of others on to those of different faiths.

Its their life, they should be able to fight to live or die if they choose. Period.

Tom Brady, just look at his overall numbers and his team numbers.

As much as I like Papelbon, he is no longer a Boston Athlete.

What you are saying is that just because a practice WAS widely accepted world wide, it makes it acceptable now? As history shows, people learn as generations pass. Their are countless numbers of traditions and procedures that were performed/practiced in the past that are now considered immoral, gross, foolish, pointless, uneducated ... pick your adjective.

Just because your sons do not openly advocate for their foreskin, does not mean your decision was correct. I was circumcised and no I do not try blaming my mother or anything ... I was circumcised because my father was. My father was circumcised because his father and so on. When my son was born, my mother asked why we did not have the procedure done citing centuries old health concerns. I simply gave her some information on the topic and she digressed stating that she wished she had that info when me and my brother were born.

Appeal to ignorance - Your entire stance rest upon the fact that "its not killing anyone" hence it must be ok.

Ad hominem - Instead of presenting your argument intelligently and accepting that about half of those that have posted an opinion disagree, you choose to sling inconsequential rhetoric like "this discussion is so foolish" why? because certain people want to stop the everyday practice of genital mutilation?

You claim that both arguments are weak but your reply is full of inconsistencies.

First, I dont think that a medical procedure like circumcision will ever become illegal as it is a legitimate procedure to correct and prevent rare medical issues. The real issue is whether to take the decision out of the hands of the parents like they have with female circumcision.

Female circumcision, at one point, was just as popular as male and the reasons for the procedure are nearly identical to the reasons for male circumcision. However Female circumcision was outlawed in the US in 1997 and renamed "Female Genital mutilation"

Its the same thing, just leave his thing alone until he is old enough to make the decision on his own. If he has medical issues that would best be resolved with the procedure, it should be performed just like any other medically necessary surgery.