Body Mods

NPR just did this bit on circumcision. To be honest, I merely glanced at the article, so it's only important in that it made me question the practice.

How many people would allow their child to be tattooed or pierced as an infant? How many people would cut off fingers or toes or ears or noses or lips from their infant boy?

And yet circumcision is a matter of religion, or 'cleanliness'! How does that make sense?