Missouri man charged with illegal circumcision of 2 teens

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated 12:53 pm CDT, Thursday, October 11, 2018



SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man who started his own religious ministry has been charged with illegally circumcising two teenagers.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 47-year-old Curtis Abbott, of Nixa, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of child endangerment and one count of unauthorized practice of medicine or surgery. Abbott sent a statement to the News-Leader calling the allegations "false."

. . .

Many details of the case, including a motive, haven't been made public because the case was handled by a grand jury.

. . .

Nixa founded an organization called "Restore Bible Culture." Court filings in his divorce finalized this summer say he said he has had "multiple prophetic communications."

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Missouri-man-charged-with-illegal-circumcision-of-13299121.php

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Nixa man, a failed polygamist and minister, accused of illegally circumcising 2 teens
Giacomo Bologna, Springfield News-Leader
Published 2:32 p.m. CT Oct. 10, 2018 | Updated 11:34 p.m. CT Oct. 10, 2018

A Nixa man who started an organization called "Restore Bible Culture" was indicted for illegally circumcising two teenagers in May, court documents say.

A grand jury indicted Curtis W. Abbott in August on two counts of child endangerment and one count of unauthorized practice of medicine or surgery — all of which are felonies.

Abbott, 47, is not a doctor.

He sent a statement to the News-Leader calling the allegations false.

Because the case was handled by a grand jury, many details of the case — like an alleged motive — are not public.

More:
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2018/10/10/nixa-crime-illegal-circumcision-teens-polygamy-sister-wife-telemarketing-scam/1538578002/

[keithbvadu2]

1. Unless a rabbi has a medical license, it looks like Abbot has a valid case. "Freedom of religion"

Unless a rabbi has a medical license, it looks like Abbot has a valid case.

"Freedom of religion"

[SoCalNative]

2. Mohels

not specifically rabbis. And many mohalim are doctors or rabbis (and some are both) or cantors and are required to receive appropriate training both from the religious and medical fields.

[Mr. Big]

11. I know a mohel that is a rabbi

But is a doctor's son. We grew up together.

He runs a local synagogue, but leans to the right (of my taste).

He's basically the state mohel, so it keeps him pretty busy. (I think we're down to two)

[Judi Lynn]

14. Welcome to D.U., Mr. Big.

[Solly Mack]

3. Mohalim are medically trained and many are doctors.

MD or not, all mohels have to have medical training in circumcision.

Rabbis can also be medical doctors. As can Cantors, who can also be mohels.

[keithbvadu2]

4. Set up his own medical association for certification like Rand Paul did.

[LanternWaste]

10. Should midwives do the same?

[keithbvadu2]

13. Why not? Play libertarian.

Why not? Play libertarian.

It was half in jest, half serious.

[Solly Mack]

17. Fanatics seldom surprise me, so...

[jberryhill]

9. The point being that there are mohels who are NOT doctors

Whether they have some sort of training or not is entirely beside the point that they are performing surgery without a medical license under a religious exemption.

If it is a religious practice, then any medical license or training is thoroughly irrelevant, as is having an infectious disease, e.g.:


http://gothamist.com/2017/03/30/de_blasio_herpes_circumcision.php


Six babies have developed herpes following circumcisions since Bill de Blasio became mayor, and his administration is now changing course on the issue in an attempt to stop mohels who have infected babies with herpes from performing the metzitzah b’peh ritual.

...

The "metzitzah b'peh" ritual is the circumcision practice in which a mohel sucks the blood from a freshly snipped foreskin of a baby boy. Outside of the ultra-Orthodox community, the ritual is shunned by Jews, and is considered by many to be an ancient tradition based on "a long-discredited medical theory from the Iron Age before the dawn of the Common Era."

Under the Bloomberg administration, the Board of Health ruled that "parents need to be aware of the opinion of experts," and unanimously passed circumcision consent forms that required Orthodox Jewish parents to sign a waiver before their infant could undergo the procedure. The City was immediately sued by ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups who claimed their First Amendment rights were violated.

[Solly Mack]

15. lol

Yes. Thank you.

[Sgent]

8. I don't know of any state

that requires licensure for a Mohel, and all I know of allow for religious circumcision by unlicensed individuals (including MO).

Most Jewish communities have requirements and restrictions on who can do circumcisions and only accept those done by / in an approved manner. All Mohel's I know of either are medically trained and licensed, or have fairly extensive training as an apprentice. Many Jewish Mohel's are MD's, but certainly not all -- and even those would only be licensed in the states they keep an active license.

[BamaRefugee]

5. Jesus would weep, but he has no more tears left for 'MURICA.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Oh great, another Missouri nut...I hope he gets the book thrown at him and not the bible...nt

[slumcamper]

7. This is DEPLORABLE and out of control.

I wonder what the lives of the poor bastards who fell beneath this monster's knife will be like? Look at that dude's face. How much public assistance will his victims require to overcome the demons of this abuse during their lives?

I support regulating churches.

Our rights are not absolute--whether speech, religion, guns, privacy, etc.

Kooks like this SOB are clear testament to the need for a role by government in regulating the excesses of our institutions to intercede and prevent those whose demented conceptions of our rights hinge on "freedumb."

The spawn of conservatism has given us far too many crazy fucks who are reposing in flags and twisted conceptions of "liberty" to justify and engage in such wacky bullshit, essentially exploiting the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Societal vermin like this need to be locked up, and a great many of them are "church-people."

[olegramps]

19. Some day all religious will be relegated to the ash heap; the victims of science and enlightenment.

It can't happen too soon, but unfortunately just consider that it took centuries for the Catholic Church to admit that Galileo was right and the sun really didn't revolve around the earth.

[irisblue]

12. The news-leader article talks more about the 'sister wife'- polygamy issues then the teen boys

I will be interested in seeing the boys & their parents reasoning to have Abbot do this

[marble falls]

16. The wages wersn't that hot but he did get to keep all the tips. BTW: IF mohils have to have ...

certification, I bet its longer hours than that for conceal carry of firearms in that state!

[roamer65]

18. Circumcision is male genital mutilation.

It should be banned unless an adult male chooses to have it performed or it is medically necessary.

Fuck the bullshit religious “reasons” for it.

[NickB79]

20. It doesn't say how old the teens were

It's possible they were legally adults when they agreed to let him circumcise them.