Germany’s circumcision row hots up with bible stamp plan

Germany’s postal service is set to issue a stamp reminding Germans that 2,000 years ago Jesus underwent circumcision as an eight-day-old baby, a ritual religious practice that a German court has controversially banned in part of the country.

The stamp, marking the 200th anniversary of the German Bible Society in September, shows a page from the New Testament that includes a description of Jesus being circumcised.

The Bible Society says the stamp’s design was finalised well before the heated debate began.

A court in Cologne, ruling in the case of a Muslim boy taken to a doctor with bleeding after circumcision, said in June the procedure should not be carried out on young boys, but could be practised on older males.