Opinion Paper on Conflict Between the State and Religion

Introduction

The government operates under the guidance of the constitution and one of the key responsibilities that the constitution confers upon the government is to safeguard the rights and well-being of all its citizens. Given this background, I believe that the government has every right to get involved in the health affairs of its citizens because the well-being of the public is the government's duty. However, it is the same constitution that guarantees the fundamental rights of all the people including their freedom to worship. Religious freedom is a sensitive subject in which the government should not be involved because every community has its own cultural and religious practices that gives them an identity as a people. These two issues make it very hard for the government to intervene in a religious ceremony such as bris through its regulation. In my opinion, I think that the government should evaluate the risk posed by the metzitzah b'peh ritual during Jewish circumcision against the infringement of their freedom of worship and religion. The herpes infection has dire effects on the lives of the affected boys and it is only fair that the government steps in to dictate safer ways of conducting the same ritual without infecting the newborn boys (Levy, 2017).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The responsibility of informing the Ultra-Orthodox Jews about the health risk during the bris and the need to have the consent form used and signed lies squarely with the local government and the department of health. The department of health has the duty to create awareness among the public of the health hazards of using the oral suction ritual during the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish circumcision ceremonies. The department of health ought to apply all the means at its disposal to sensitize the public of the effects of the herpes disease that results from this risky ritual. The local government, on its part, should ensure that all the Ultra-Orthodox Jews living under its jurisdiction and who carry out the bris have their consent forms to indicate their full knowledge of the health risks before proceeding with the circumcision. However, all these efforts from the department of health and local government will not amount to anything fruitful if they do not receive the support of the rabbis. The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish mohelin have to be willing to engage the authorities and talk to their people on the need to embrace safer ways of conducting the bris (Otterman, 2015).

Conclusion

My overall thoughts on this matter is that there is a clear conflict between the state and religion. The government wants to protect the citizens by promoting healthy practices while the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community is not ready to relinquish its religious practices from time immemorial. At the center of this tussle, is the passage of time to the contemporary times where cultures and religious practices are changing to conform with the modern practices. It is for this reason that the rabbis should implore on their Ultra-Orthodox Jewish congregation to embrace modernity and find alternative and safer ways of conducting the metzitzah b'peh during the bris ceremony. The government's intention of trying to regulate the religious practice is informed by the need to ensure the health and safety of all the newborns in the country. On the other hand, I also think that the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community should work closely with the government to ensure that they adhere to expressing their willingness to partake in the bris in full realization of the health risks it entails. They should do this by signing the provided consent forms while they can also help by being more cooperative with the authorities by volunteering information in case of adverse health effects after the bris.

References

Levy, N. (March 10, 2017). 6 Babies Have Gotten Herpes From Circumcision Since City Eased Health Rules. This is New York.

Otterman, S. (January 14, 2015). Mayor de Blasio and Rabbis Near Accord on New Circumcision Rule. The New York Times.