Marrying your own flesh and blood.

The reason many people are outraged by incest is that it is forbidden in the Bible. That is what it is and I wont say anything about it. A secondary reason, I believe and have read, is more or less innate; we are evolutionarily programmed to seek out someone a little more genetically different than us as a mate. This, combined with the fact that family is usually brought up together and has tons of conflicting, non-romantic feelings for each other, is enough to make incest abhorrent to most. But in some places, it is culturally necessary. For example, in the royalty of Hawaii and many other Pacific islands, a brother-sister marriage was prized because it kept all the royal blood concentrated. So what is the actual biological risk of having children with genetic disorders? Actually pretty low. In the general population the risk of an inherited disorder is about 2%...in first-cousin marriages it doubles, but that's still only 4%. Now, if this continues to happen over generations, like it does with many royal families, the risk jumps higher and higher: that's referred to (rather rudely, I think) as inbreeding. So I'd generally say that if two family members know of a family risk for any disease, they definitely shouldn't attempt to procreate. If offspring isn't the goal, and it's completely consensual, between two adults....then, I don't know. I don't have anything against it.

When exactly it is incest? According to me it's only forbidden in the first degree which means: mother with son, father with daughter, brother with sister (even if it's adoption brother and sister). For the rest it seems to be allowed and it happens in many cultures (Turkish for example) with all kind of health issues as well (that's why my turkish friend is upset most of her family member do and there are also many who are deaf). Royal families do exactly the same and we do the same if we breed with birds, flowers, vegetables, dogs, cats etc. Since a certain race you can only get through "incest". I don't know what kind of cartoon you saw but for young kids it's normal to say they will get married with their mom, dad or brother or sister. Nothing to be conerned about since little kids don't know the meaning of marriage the way adults do. I think your mother is partly right, this is exactly why there are so many arranged marriages and women are still given away to the "best" part. No matter if you are poor or rich everybody wants a better life.

Oh no, it is not normal to do that, the baby born into this world might have handicapped or some kind of illness as I was told by my mother. We can only marry our third degree cousin, I believe it happens in Royal families and I don't like that too.

I was told that we are not suppose to marry cousins from the paternal side. However, it is fine for the maternal side. Of course, if you are talking about sister and brother, then that is a no no. As for step-siblings, thou they are not really related, morally, it is not right for them to get married too.

That is incest! It should not happen because they are human beings!

Well, what do you think happened in the B.C. time? People before Christ married and had kids with their siblings and cousins. Scientifically, it may not be right, due to incompatibility of genes or DNA, that could cause health defects on their offsprings. But, socially, it is happening, and its not a crime. It just feels abnormal, because its considered a taboo.

There is also a scientific explanation why siblings or close relatives should not marry. It has something to do with DNA and all that their kids might be abnormal with physical or mental defects.

It's still inc*st. There are laws against such in the US. This is to prevent diseases caused by inbreeding. What ever weakness the family may have would be intensified. Marriage between very close relatives is taboo in the Old Testament laws given by God to Moses. However, marriage between cousins was encouraged. I uunderstand that this is still the custom in many countries.

It never occured in my wildest dream that I'll marry my brother or any of my cousins. No one taught me that it's a taboo, but I feel and I know that it's not right. It maybe because of the fact that I was raised in an environment where no one marries their cousins or siblings. This post made me think that if I was raised in a community where siblings marry each other or parents marry their kids, and the like, maybe I'll not also consider this a taboo. Oh my God!