should incest between brothers and sisters be legal?

[islandclimber]

I have to disagree with you Metal. To say that matters like this are none of our business is to bury our heads in the sand. What about sexual abuse of children? In some cultures it is normal for a child to be "educated" sexually by an adult, but we frown upon it greatly here. If this started happening here, would you say that it is also none of our business? Should child molesting not be criminal either?

wow!!! again I have to ask: are you serious????

You are comparing incest to child molestation???

child molestation is abusing the defenseless... incest where there is only love involved is hurting no one... no matter what anyone says... seriously.... tell me who it actually harms.... and explain to me how... I would like to know... I really would... tell me how it harms just the normal person... the person who doesn't self inflict the harm upon themselves by getting all worked up and disgusted over the issue...

and by saying that in some cultures it is normal for children to have sexual experience with adults, you are only supporting the argument that thousands of years of culturally developed moralities mean nothing at all... zip... zilch... zero... nothing.... for if thousands of years of moral development lead to the idea that it is okay for adults to be sexually intimate with children.. well then I think it is safe to assume that just because a morality has been progressing for hundreds or thousands of years, it doesn't mean a thing with regard to being right in my books, or in another culture's viewpoint...

I am done with this thread... I have only found self-righteousness here... we are all human... we all have flaws... we all have perversities, if you would like to call them that... we all are different and that is what makes us interesting... that is what makes us unique... that is what makes us essentially human: the fact we choose for ourselves, our own path, our own nature, our own morality... everything a single human being does is natural, essentially, to that person... this is obvious... whether it is natural to all humans is an absurd point to ponder... there are no objective and universal laws in the universe.. none whatsoever... just theories.. and one may have faith in a theory, but at the same time they need to respect everyone else's right to have faith in their own ideas and theories! this should be obvious, but it is apparent from this thread and well my experience with humanity in general that this respect is seriously lacking... I am no judge of others, and I do not and will not ever judge another human being for doing something that harms no one... I will not, myself, even judge a human being for anything... who made me god... I try to love every single thing on this planet, as everything deserves love, whatsoever it is they may have done.... in my opinion the only immorality is something that harms someone else... everything else... and I repeat, everything else is moral!! in my opinion... but the narrowmindedness will prevail, as it always does, and people will continue persecuting others for being different, however harmless.. I guess if their is a natural law, it would be this... that humans persecute anyone different from the norm... whether it be the religiously different, the sexually different, the physically different, the mentally different... the fundamental fact of human history is that difference has always been persecuted...

goodnight.

[metal134]

In some cultures it is normal for a child to be "educated" sexually by an adult, but we frown upon it greatly here. If this started happening here, would you say that it is also none of our business? Should child molesting not be criminal either?

I would also add to this that I am completely unconcerned with what they do in other cultures. Did you know that in other cultures, they find eating beef to be about one of the worst crimes you can commit? So should we be worrying about what other cultures are thinking or doing?

And islandclimber pretty much hit the nail squarley on the head.

[*Classic*Charm*]

I am most desperately sorry for having offended anyone. This was never my intention. My argument was to the extreme and I am sincerely sorry.

Please allow me to clarify my position. My argument refers to incestuous couples having children. Of course it is no one's business what two consensual adults do, and I would absolutely never take away from the love between two people, no matter what their relationship.

I do, however, believe that there are some things for which every couple should be accountable. That, of course, is having a child. I do not think it is fair for anyone to bring a child into the world when there is such a high risk that the child will have serious health issues. To intentionally give birth to child whose life will be one of hardship is not fair, in my eyes. Is this child not, in a small way, a victim?Of Course, I know that this is not always the case, and I do not mean to imply that the couple could not be the most capable, loving, and devoted parents. I do, however, think that there are other ways if such a couple wishes to be parents.

Again, my most sincere apologies. I certainly do not mean to offend and I'll be more careful about my rash choice of words in the future.

[metal134]

I do, however, believe that there are some things for which every couple should be accountable. That, of course, is having a child. I do not think it is fair for anyone to bring a child into the world when there is such a high risk that the child will have serious health issues. To intentionally give birth to child whose life will be one of hardship is not fair, in my eyes. Is this child not, in a small way, a victim?Of Course, I know that this is not always the case, and I do not mean to imply that the couple could not be the most capable, loving, and devoted parents. I do, however, think that there are other ways if such a couple wishes to be parents.

But again, what about two people in a non-incestous relationship who have serious genetic problems with a high risk of passing it on to their children? Should they then be barred from having children?

[*Classic*Charm*]

I'm not saying anyone should be barred, or that they shouldn't! I'm not naive enough to think that that could or should ever happen. I'm simply saying that they have a much greater responsibility when deciding to take on such an endeavour.

[metal134]

Of course they do. But I'm just pointing out the fallacy of using the potential gentic problems as a reason for criminalization of incest. I've heard all of the arguments and I agree that there are many negatives. I just haven't seen or heard anything compelling enough to warrant a law.

[mahishi]

According to my point of view ,I think its not good,but they can love each other.

[Virgil]

Nobody is defending incest. We are are simply saying; it is none of our business. There are any number of things I find disgusting and perverse, but they are none of my business. So it's perverse; why is that grounds for criminilization? That's not good enough for me.

Correct. Not everything that is disgusting and perverse should be illegal. Just things that have a detrimental effect to society. And I think there is a solid case for that when it comes to incest.


I'm actually sick of this thread. I've made my case. I've listened to the counter arguments. I'm not going to change my mind. I'm done.

[kelby_lake]

yep. we aren't exactly going to change each other's mind so it's agreeing to disagree

[barbara0207]

This case is not about brother and sister, but father and daughter, but I thought I'd post it here. Most of you may have heard about it already.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/ttv/news.jhtml

[papayahed]

I was wondering if someone was going to post about that.

[barbara0207]

I was wondering if someone was going to post about that.

Do you disapprove (of posting it, I mean?)

I was wondering how a crime like that could go unnoticed by family, friends, neighbours and authorities. Or did people just keep their mouths shut?

[papayahed]

Do you disapprove (of posting it, I mean?)

I was wondering how a crime like that could go unnoticed by family, friends, neighbours and authorities. Or did people just keep their mouths shut?

I don't disapprove (I was thinking about posting it myself).

I was wondering the same thing? Didn't the wife/mother/grandmother say she didn't know?

[barbara0207]

Yes, she did. But I can't imagine she had no idea or at least suspicion. But Fritzl is said to be a tyrant. Perhaps she did not dare to say anything because she was too afraid.

[papayahed]

Yes, she did. But I can't imagine she had no idea or at least suspicion. But Fritzl is said to be a tyrant. Perhaps she did not dare to say anything because she was too afraid.

That's true, an article said that three of the kids grew up with the grandparents, how did people not wonder where those three came from?