His role in Gladiator aside, Russell Crowe has just never seemed to have the acting ability or the captivating personality to make me a fan. He was the sort who flew under the radar for me. That is, of course, until he started his anti-circumcision ranting on Twitter.

I am not exactly sure why a fan would ask Russell Crowe for advice about whether or not to circumcise his son. As I see it, the people you should be discussing this with should be your family and your doctors—not, say, your favourite celebrity. But this fan’s strange questioning aside, Crowe fired back with a very definitive answer. He is anti-circumcision.

Whether or not you or I agree with his choice of words like “barbaric” and “stupid,” or his assertion that babies are perfect (news flash: they are not), Russell Crowe is allowed to be anti-circumcision the same way that I am allowed to be pro-circumcision. Actually, let me rephrase that: the same way I am allowed to be pro-circumcision for my sons. Because I am Jewish, I circumcised my son. If I had 12 more sons, I would circumcise them all. At eight days old, my son had a bris. It was done in a synagogue by a mohel, who also happened to be a medical doctor. He cried for about four seconds, peed on the mohel and nursed himself happy again. He healed quickly and easily, and I don’t look back on it as a mistake. It was right for me and for my husband.

But this doesn’t mean that I firmly believe that all boys should be circumcised.

No, I firmly believe that every parent has the right and responsibility to research and ask questions and ultimately decide what is right for the child.

If you decide to circumcise your son, I will support you in the decision.

If you decide to not circumcise your son, I will support you in the decision.

But I truly and honestly do not believe that is the right of a friend to tell you to stop cutting your boys. When I was pregnant with my third child, I received a very disturbing and completely inappropriate email from a friend. She believed that it was a mistake that I had circumcised my son and would prefer that if my third child was born with a penis, that I leave it intact. She included anti-circumcision literature, complete with photos of botched procedures. I was aghast. I hadn’t asked for this advice. I wasn’t wavering in my decision. My Jewish sons would be circumcised, no matter how many photos she forced me to look at.

Similarly, I truly and honestly do not believe that is the right of an actor to use his public Twitter account to tell anyone to stop cutting their boys. I do not believe that it is his right to call me a barbaric parent.

Let’s respect each other, please.

Russell Crowe has since apologized for his Twitter ranting by saying, “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.”

What are your thoughts? Do you think Russell Crowe was right? Do you think he was wrong? Do you think circumcision is barbaric and should be against the law, or is it a decision that should be left to parents to make for their children?

—Ali, Senior Associate Editor of CF.ca.