Do you want yet another reason why religion needs to stay separate from government?

The CBC reported on the bizarre issue that began with a couple in Israel having a baby boy. Apparently, things were quite rocky for them and they were considering divorce by the time the child arrived. Unfortunately, the child was born with an unnamed medical issue that prevented the traditional circumcision on the eighth day of the boy’s life. The mother said,

As time went on, I started reading about what actually happens in circumcision, and I realized that I couldn’t do that to my son. He’s perfect just as he is.

Her husband didn’t agree and went to a rabbinical court over the matter. According to the rabbis, circumcision is

a standard surgical procedure that is performed on every Jewish baby boy, so when one of the parents demands it, the other cannot delay it except where it is proven to be medically dangerous

The mother lost an appeal to a higher rabbinical court so now she’s planning to appeal to Israel’s High Court of Justice.

As it stands, the government is fining the mother $149 for every day her son is not circumcised.

Yeesh. I have enough trouble with a surgical procedure being a religious requirement, but religious representatives having the government-mandated power to make it happen? Secular state for me, please!