What about the case of the hermaphrodite child whose parents decide to surgically make female? Is this unethical or wise, in saving the child the pain of humiliation and gender confusion? Even if female circumcision were “mutilating,” as its detractors describe it, this religious custom is nevertheless a way to earn acceptance within a family and within a society. Most agreed that parents have a right to educate their children as they see fit, providing it doesn’t jeopardize their life.
How was female circumcision different? Both involve minors having their parents’ believes imposed on them.
Most believed it was appropriate for parents to hand down their values and traditions and to take pride in them. In a more extreme case, ethical relativists were challenged with how to react to deeply held and historically respected rites of passage, such as female circumcision, even when it led to medical complications and impaired sexual enjoyment.
Furthermore, this issue seemed to involve aesthetic relativism more than ethics. Nonetheless, politics, in the form of ordinances define lawful standards of conduct. The group was impressed by the libertarian suggestion of allowing those who like to leave garbage on the beach and play loud music to use specific beaches where such expressions were perfectly acceptable, while those seeking litter-free and noise free beaches could use different designated beaches. Strolling along the streets of the non-tourist section of a developing Caribbean island nation prompted thoughts about whether one should feel indifferent about detritus, since the people seemed to accept it as part of their environment, even though it would be provoke indignation at home. A dozen gathered on a fine May evening to discuss if the appropriate attitude about garbage strewn streets and female circumcision should be acceptance, indignation or belligerence.
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