The chopper
Sir: I am puzzled by Auberon Waugh's assertion (27 August) that circumcision is Part of 'the older Christian tradition' in this country. The practice of circumcision by the English upper classes is quite recent, and has nothing to do with Christian tradition. It is true that if one goes back a very long way, circumcision was the rule in the Jerusalem Church of the first century. But the Jerusalem Church also observed the Jewish dietary laws, Sabbath on Satur- day, and all the other prescriptions of Judaism. Christianity is based on the teaching of Paul, who opposed circumci- sion vehemently, regarding it as no better than castration (Galatians v:12), a com- mon Roman view. The only Christian Church that practised circumcision was the Ethiopian, which I hardly think was in Mr Waugh's mind.
Now that modern science has proved the great benefit of circumcision, I wonder whether Mr Waugh will now consider the many other aspects of Jewish wisdom that were lost to Christianity through the influ- ence of Paul.
Hyam Maccoby
Leo Baeck College, Sternberg Centre for Judaism, 80 East End Road, London N3
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