Russell Crowe: "Circumcision Is Barbaric and Stupid"

Celebrity Body June 10, 2011 AT 9:49AM
Russell Crowe: "Circumcision Is Barbaric and Stupid" Credit: Tony Barson/WireImage.com

Russell Crowe's message is clear: circumcision is the enemy.

"Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature?" the Oscar winner tweeted Thursday. "Is it real that God requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect."

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After several of his followers tweeted messages of support, the 47-year-old actor reached out to his Jewish friends (including director Eli Roth, 39) to encourage them to reject their long tradition of ceremonial circumcision.

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"I love my Jewish friends, I love the apples and the honey and the funny little hats, but stop cutting your babies," he wrote.

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"I will always stand for the perfection of babies. I will always believe in God, not man's interpretation of what God requires," Crowe shared. "Last of it, if you feel it is your right to cut things off your babies please unfollow and f**k off; I'll take attentive parenting over barbarism."

Early Friday morning, Crowe apologized for offending his followers, telling them: "I have a deep and abiding love for all people of all nationalities. I'm very sorry that I have said things on here that have caused distress. My personal beliefs aside I realize that some will interpret this debate as me mocking the rituals and traditions of others. I am very sorry."

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  • March 05, 2012 - 12:00am Justin Craddock

    Sorry, by prostate cancer,I do of course mean cervical cancer. The original report that suggested a link has been proven to be flawed and wrong. Oh, and smegma contains antibodies that inhibit the growth of bacteria, so an uncut penis is more hygienic, FACT.

  • March 04, 2012 - 6:00pm Justin Craddock

    Circumcision is barbaric and unnecessary in civilized society. Interesting the majority of comments are from females. I'm astounded by the selfish, ignorant and uneducated comments here. I have some questions: 1. As a supposed good and loving mother, how can you butcher, mutilate and inflict inconceivable pain on your own flesh and blood? Not a loving motherly act. 2. How can you be so selfish as to take away such a life changing decision from your child? 3. The head of the penis is the most sensitive part. Circumcision de-sensitizes and "hardens" it. Cut men are missing out on a whole different level of sexual pleasure enjoyed by us complete men. Why would you be so selfish as to take that away from your son? 4. A complete penis is no less hygenic or clean than a cut one or a vagina with two sets of labia that is closed all day - fact. It takes no extra effort or time to clean under a foreskin. Women can secrete fluid all day long, men don't - ughh! Men don't get thrush! 5. Why do you think it prevents infection? All the men in my family and circle of friends are uncut and there has not been a SINGLE case of infection! 80% of the world's males are not cuircumsized and yet penile infection is a pretty rare occurrence. How can this be justification for butchering your new born baby? 6. Smegma - both men and women produce smega! It is a clean substance (google and educate yourself), so if this is justification for circumcision for men, then it is also for women - oh wait, that would be barbaric. Why should men be butchered and disfigured AND endure smegma within the folds of a woman's parts? 7. How can removal of a small piece of skin prevent prostate cancer? Show me unquestionable scientific evidence that links prostate cancer to the foreskin. Statistics stating prostate cancer is less prevalent in a circumsizing society is not evidence, it's circumstantial. 8. "He will look different from his father and friends". Isn't this just a pathetic attempt at justifying your barbaric beliefs? Two wrongs don't make a right. He will have far more to worry about in life. It amazes me that it's illegal to smack your children, yet you can butcher and mutilate your baby by slicing off a body part. America is a very strange place. 9. Why do you think you have the right to "correct" what nature has created over millions of years? Nature has a strange habit of perfecting things, god is man made and doesn't exist. 10. Why would you butcher, mutilate, harm, disfigure, dismember, hurt your own child, your own flesh and blood? Circumcision is a man-made barbaric ritual, akin to human sacrifice, born out of religion and has absolutely no place in a civilized society. The UK is a non-circumsizing society and yet it has among the lowest HIV rates in the world, where penile infection is a very rare disease.

  • October 29, 2011 - 6:36am Agron Belica

    Say No To Circumcision: Leave those babies alone!!!!!!!!!!!

  • September 04, 2011 - 11:03pm Janice Scott

    In all sincere seriousness good people....please google " the Circumcision Resource Centre" and read all of the site then you will be informed enough to make a comment here or post an opinion.

  • June 13, 2011 - 1:50am Nissa Doss

    Circumcision, proof that when given the option between cutting off bits from their babies or leaving them alone, some parents choose cut bits off. We are truly an awesome and logical race.

  • June 12, 2011 - 7:29pm Olivia Mano

    so far its a choice so who is forcing you???is it just to say something to be in the news????

  • June 12, 2011 - 7:22pm Olivia Mano

    who is forcing you you moron so far its a choice in case you dont know or is it just to say something and be in the news to promote your career !think before you say somesthing!!!!!

  • June 12, 2011 - 7:12pm Olivia Mano

    who is forcing you ???dont do it and shut up!!!!

  • June 12, 2011 - 4:28am Laura Kockelkorn

    The AAP and the CDC do NOT recommend infant circumcision AT ALL. Why don't you all go look it up before you spout off your lies? Watch a circ being done.. it's torture and it has been scientifically proven to forever alter the baby's brain and wire him to be more sensitive to painful stimuli. You do not need an MD behind your name to have a clue. I've done my research, have you?

  • June 12, 2011 - 4:25am Laura Kockelkorn

    So many uneducated responses here. Most kids who need to be circ'd later on it is because of clueless doctors who tell parents to retract the foreskin from birth. THAT is what causes problems. LEAVE THE SKIN ALONE until it retracts on it's own which can take until puberty! The skin is there to protect and it is NOT gross. I have smegma.. would you like to cut off my clitoris then? Americans cut their babies more than any other country yet everyone else's penises aren't falling off from infection.. think about it. It's cruel. Stop doing it!

  • June 12, 2011 - 12:05am Jay Kennies

    I worked in a mens ward for 5 years. I'll take a circumcised man any day.

  • June 11, 2011 - 5:56pm Heather Skye

    So many ignorant comments on here. Most of the world's men are not circumsized, and most turn out okay. And to Anne Hutchins: If you think "smegma" is something only uncircumsized men produce, you're mistaken. It just doesn't happen to be such a problem for guys who are circumsized, but all men should keep themselves clean, regardless. Oh, and women produce it, too: They just prefer to call it "natural lubrication". Look it up.

  • June 11, 2011 - 2:13pm Rosanne Smithe

    Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson are vying for the attention of Helen Thomas.

  • June 11, 2011 - 11:20am Sue Hennig Brown

    Russell...are you that bored that you have to discuss your penis with the world ??????? i consider this something very personal...what is coming next...and you should be sorry...SB

  • June 11, 2011 - 2:40am Chris Drake

    Much more sanitary, and most babies are not Jewish who are circumcised. Even lint from underwear gets in there. No thanks, glad I'm done!

  • June 11, 2011 - 12:07am Erica Rogers

    All kinds of bacteria breed under a foreskin, and it is definitely more hygienic, especially in men who aren't "fussy". After sex, blah, no thanks,.

  • June 10, 2011 - 11:27pm Rebecca Jones

    I wonder if, while protecting the foreskins of the world, if he's willing to stand up to Planned Parenthood to protect the unborn babies of the world -- after all, THEY'RE perfect, too!

  • June 10, 2011 - 9:25pm Maria Martin

    Safe sex please!! If you're living with sexually transmitted diseases? Try STDdatings.c o m, the most trusted STD support and dating site. All personal info is private and anonymous.

  • June 10, 2011 - 6:49pm Fortune McLemore

    Um, where did this come from, and why should anyone care about his opinion on it?

  • June 10, 2011 - 5:09pm Melinda Caldwell

    Sorry, Russell, I'm a fan, but you are wrong about this! I knew someone who didn't have this done when he was a baby and developed an infection when he was an adult and had to have it done then - and let me tell you it's a LOT more painful then!

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