Incest: an age-old taboo

[mawilson 2,133]

I'm responding to the notion that all people have to do is want the law changed to suit themselves and that's enough reason for some to want it changed.

It's called civil disobedience and is a necessary and integral part of a properly functioning democracy.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

What's legal isn't necessarily wrong either. Morality, as defined by society, should be an element, and that is lost when the law is changed to reflect hedonism rather than reason.

Sure - I don't think you will find many people (outside of Hitchcock's Rope) who would agree that murder is not wrong or that it should be legalised

I'm not too convinced either that laws are changed to reflect hedonism and "immoral pleasure seeking". With issues as wide ranging as acceptance of homosexual "marriage" there is an element of social consensus involved. The reason there is a wide-ranging debate over homosexual unions is because there is widespread support and acceptance for it. As far as I see it, there is no debate about incest.... That's not to say that won't conceivably happen in a hundred, 2 hundred, 5 hundred years. What people don't seem to understand is that societies do change. Its inevitable...

Edited March 13, 2007 by erekose

[Fandango 1,439]

IMHO, feeling bad for the problems children of incest have and being against it is a far cry from pro-Eugenics. Personally, I'd be pissed if my parents were married and I had deformities because of it or some other problem.

Yeah, that's what I was trying to convey, but it got overshadowed by my poor choice of language. Genetic disorders are not ideal, but there is a difference between unknowingly passing one to your child and knowingly increasing those chances by breeding with someone from your exact same gene pool. I also think it's unfair to the children to have to deal with the social stigma of being from an incestuous union and the confusing family situation which will undoubtedly be treated as shameful by those around the child.

So people who have a 50/50 shot of passing on some sort of deformity should not have children, since it's a choice?

What about dwarfism....should the kid be pissed if he is born a a little person if his parents are too?

[Robor007 0]

Incest is and has always been a social taboo. Homosexuality used to be too - but its more socially accepted these days than incest. I dare say that homosexuality is much more common than incest or beastiality.

There's an important difference between homosexuality and incest -- people don't

"choose" to be homosexual, any more than they choose their gender or race.

We all can choose our partners, however.

It's not always true that people don't choose to be gay.

There are actually societies that encourage straight children to adopt gay lifestyles.

It's also a fact that gay men and lesbians marry and behave like straights and

straight men haev been known to go on the "down low".

Sexuality is not so cut and dried anymore than a preference for buxom blondes or tall, dark men is.

So you could chose to just choose to be gay if you wanted to? Doubt it. I know I couldn't just decide to like guys instead of girls.

Never heard of any society encouraging straight children to be gay.

The key words: *behave like*

Those 'straight' men on the down low are either gay or bi

Sexual preference is not a choice, period.

[William33 110]

Interesting topic.

Incest is terribly wrong. Who in the heck would want to do that?

With little respect for same sex relationships, still trying to put the square peg into the round hole? Anatomy explains the problem here.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

If incest threatens our species then abortion should be outlawed for the same reason.

[William33 110]

If incest threatens our species then abortion should be outlawed for the same reason.

Are you kidding? Apples and oranges. It has nothing to do with that, incest is a moral and ethical issue. It's freakin wrong, period.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

If incest threatens our species then abortion should be outlawed for the same reason.

Are you kidding? Apples and oranges. It has nothing to do with that, incest is a moral and ethical issue. It's freakin wrong, period.

Someone earlier said incest was a threat to our species. Consensual incest hurts no one but I still don't like it.

incest = bad

same sex marriage = good

Neither of the above hurt anyone. If an incestuous marriage makes 'special' children that's the parents choice just like abortion is the womans (and mans) choice.

[William33 110]

If incest threatens our species then abortion should be outlawed for the same reason.

Are you kidding? Apples and oranges. It has nothing to do with that, incest is a moral and ethical issue. It's freakin wrong, period.

Someone earlier said incest was a threat to our species. Consensual incest hurts no one but I still don't like it.

incest = bad

same sex marriage = good

Neither of the above hurt anyone. If an incestuous marriage makes 'special' children that's the parents choice just like abortion is the womans (and mans) choice.

Fair enough. As an aside, I just don't agree with same sex marriages, but, to each his/her own.

Being a male, I can't imagine my life without a woman, my wife!!

[Peikko 1,575]

Morality, as defined by society, should be an element, and that is lost when the law is changed to reflect hedonism rather than reason.

Hedonism can't be reasonable? Reason = religious morality?

Society can be ethical without being bound by religious morality It is perfectly possible to value life, the individual and the individual's interaction within society without any reference to god. To say that any view that isn't grounded in religious morality is unreasonable is simplistic to say the very least.

[William33 110]

Morality, as defined by society, should be an element, and that is lost when the law is changed to reflect hedonism rather than reason.

Hedonism can't be reasonable? Reason = religious morality?

Society can be ethical without being bound by religious morality It is perfectly possible to value life, the individual and the individual's interaction within society without any reference to god. To say that any view that isn't grounded in religious morality is unreasonable is simplistic to say the very least.

Well said. Religion plays a major part for some, for others, it is about what is right and appropriate.

Religion is not the be all-end all of morality. Speaking as a confirmed (30 years), yet diposed Catholic (married outside the church), my morals and ethics were developed elsewhere.

[Scott & Lai 12]

If incest threatens our species then abortion should be outlawed for the same reason.

Are you kidding? Apples and oranges. It has nothing to do with that, incest is a moral and ethical issue. It's freakin wrong, period.

Abortion is also a moral and ethical issue. And many would say that abortion is freakin wrong, period.

[mawilson 2,133]

It's freakin wrong, period.

Why is it wrong, other than "society tells us so"?

[William33 110]

It's freakin wrong, period.

Why is it wrong, other than "society tells us so"?

You don't need my permission to do the unthinkable, help yourself to the willing.

[mawilson 2,133]

You don't need my permission to do the unthinkable, help yourself to the willing.

I'm not sexually attracted to my sister but I don't see what the big deal is.