Question
I would love to ask you a question. Do you have thoughts that you can share around the practice/tradition of Ulwaluko especially from a Christian perspective?
Are there any concerns or highlights of what one could read about or need to understand especially for discussion with friends/family/loved ones?
Any material you could refer me to in order to equip myself and improve my understanding of this subject.
I have negative assumptions, but these are based on the Tsonga (my “tribe”) equivalence of this practice.
Answer:
The ritual can be demonic when it involves ancestral practices, which is what happens in some cases.
As a result, Christians who do it have to navigate a lot of issues. In other words, besides the surgical procedure involving the cutting of the foreskin, there are rituals and practices which are problematic.
The thing to bear in mind is that this remains a cultural rite, even if it is done by a Christians. This means it retains cultural significance and has to fulfil certain cultural obligations and stipulations. Otherwise, it is not valid. Hence, some people have a major problem with a person who undergoes it under clinical conditions in hospital. They despise Medical Male Circumcision (MMC) because it takes away culture’s hegemony. Also, they claim that the main benefit of the ritual, which is to teach a boy to become a man, is missed.
However, today’s circumcision school is not really a school, in the true sense of the word. In anything, young men stand a greater chance of learning bad habits and behaviours. Hence, a lot of Christians backslide on returning from it.
I do not have comprehensive material on this, as yet. So I hope this helps.
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