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Sticky Subject: Should incest be illegal?
I know what you think: "What the fuck?"
But someone in a different forum I regularly visit made a point that rarely governments regulate any other form of sexual relationship and when they do the public usually frowns upon it, especially liberal people. For example, sodomy laws were just awful and unfair.
We also do not usually restrict other people from having sex where possibly birth defects might happen and we do not fault these people when they bear children with birth defects. In fact, we are mostly encouraged to show the most compassion for parents who try to give a decent life to children with disabilities.
After some thought I have come to the following conclusion: While I highly discourage sexual relationships within blood relatives, I can not muster up a case involving consenting adults that is consistent with my other moral beliefs where I would be able to declare incest something that should be illegal.
Thoughts?
But someone in a different forum I regularly visit made a point that rarely governments regulate any other form of sexual relationship and when they do the public usually frowns upon it, especially liberal people. For example, sodomy laws were just awful and unfair.
We also do not usually restrict other people from having sex where possibly birth defects might happen and we do not fault these people when they bear children with birth defects. In fact, we are mostly encouraged to show the most compassion for parents who try to give a decent life to children with disabilities.
After some thought I have come to the following conclusion: While I highly discourage sexual relationships within blood relatives, I can not muster up a case involving consenting adults that is consistent with my other moral beliefs where I would be able to declare incest something that should be illegal.
Thoughts?
Comments
This said, when incest is usually featured in the media it is in terms of pedophilia so I am yet to come across a serious and thought out argument for or against incest among legally consenting couples.
fuurin: I think we should keep to discussing the incidents where incest laws don't overlap with laws on statutory rape. That said, I personally don't see a likely situation in which vertical relationships are going to come out well. Should it be banned on a "More harm that good" basis, if this is the case?
Let's break this down:
Relationships within a family where either party is under the age of consent: Out of the question due to laws of consent.
Relationships within a family where both parties are above the age:
1) Horizontal relationship between two siblings?
2) Should a distinction be made between those who have known each other for a long time and siblings separated at birth? Is there any real difference?
3) Vertical relationships between a parent and child? [See above for my opinion.]
We also can not outlaw stuff because of a special pleading coming from our personal distaste for something. The only additional problem you mentioned was the age difference with which I do not have any problem at all in regular couples.
Edit: Never mind that bit in the brackets, see above post.
Edit 2: Should we find a case where incest is isolated from the issues of pedophilia and age difference to discuss?
3) Defiantly no. I could imagine many, commonly occurring, environments where the child could be groomed. Not to mention the relative power the adult would have in the relationship. The potential harm would far outweigh the potential benefit.
1) Given that they are consenting adults and no funny business occurred in the family to encourage the relationship I don't see a problem with this at first blush. Assuming that the chance for birth defects is not significantly high. WhatÂ’s significant? I would have to do more research to inelegantly comment on that.
In the eyes of the laws laced in religion, it might seem wrong, but the law bares no thought on how two adults feel about each other, or for any mitigating circumstances (like say, two sibling have never met before and were seperate at birth, but met later as adults). I think its hard enough to find someone to love in life, so for any adults in this kind of situation, it might be a living nightmare.
Perhaps an exception should be made in law, if the people involved are adults only. While I think the church etc won't like it (fuck em, like we care), and the issue of potential inbreeding might also ruffle feathers, this would solve most of the problems.