Should incest be banned?

[Zoe Doidge]

This highlights the type of people that engage in incest.

Hardly, like I said we don't have a sufficient sample size to make that kind of assertion.

do normal people usually engage in such activity? - no , they don't!

Even the supporters of legalising incest, on this thread, seem to agree on this point.

Well yeah, of course it's not normal. Normal in this context is a relative term, it depends entirely on society. The only reason it's not normal is because most people don't do it.

But the fact that it's not normal is completely irrelevant when it comes to whether or not it's moral, and should be completely irrelevant when it comes to whether or not it's illegal.

 

[nnmartin]

ok, but do you know of any societies in which close relative incest is considered normal?

(ie: siblings, parents/children, uncle/niece)

 

[Zoe Doidge]

ok, but do you know of any societies in which close relative incest is considered normal?

(ie: siblings, parents/children, uncle/niece)

No I'm not aware of any society where incest is the norm, beyond some small tribes who due to their isolation don't have any choice. In larger civilized countries people tend to look for partners outside of family, both due to taboo/legality, and also instinct.

Despite it not being normal, there are countries that permit it though.

 

[nnmartin]

some countries only permit it because they have to - ie: they have a poor legal system and/or an impoverished and uneducated population.

It is interesting that you mention the word 'instinct' as I have been going down that route for some time now.

Our instinct tells us it is wrong , and instinct is generally a good moral indicator.

So why should we override our naturally given morality meter and legalise this kind of abomination?

doesn't instinct mean anything to you?

 

[nnmartin]

here is a post that I invite some of the regulars on this thread to:

(ie: Mestemia, Tiberius, Zoe, Rage, Informed, and supporters)

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/2884345-post24.html

 

[InformedIgnorance]

doesn't instinct mean anything to you?

It tells me I shouldn't do things that are harmful to me; however it certainly doesn't tell me 'dont hit that sweet thang, it has too many genetic similarities to you'

 

[Zoe Doidge]

some countries only permit it because they have to - ie: they have a poor legal system and/or an impoverished and uneducated population.

Yes, but I wasn't really thinking of them. I'm thinking more along the lines of the Netherlands or France.

It is interesting that you mention the word 'instinct' as I have been going down that route for some time now.

Our instinct tells us it is wrong , and instinct is generally a good moral indicator.

So why should we override our naturally given morality meter and legalise this kind of abomination?

doesn't instinct mean anything to you?

It is perfectly reasonable and expected that most humans would have an inbuilt aversion to incest. For the vast majority of our evolutionary history we had no contraception or other realistic method to prevent children being born of it and natural selection would have favoured an inbuilt instinct to avoid incest.

But as I've already said, these days a combination of the availability of contraception and legal punishment is enough to ensure that children coming of an incestuous relationship would be minimized.

So instinct is useful, but it can also be very out of date.

 

[nnmartin]

Informed:

I think it does to most people, perhaps you just don't realise it?

don't you wonder why most people don't get the horn on with their sister or mother even if they are hot? - the idea is repellent and it is inner instinct directing us to feel this aversion.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

I think it does to most people, perhaps you just don't realise it?

don't you wonder why most people don't get the horn on with their sister or mother even if they are hot? - the idea is repellent and it is inner instinct directing us to feel this aversion.

For most people? It is probably because SOCIETY tells them not to and that it is repellent, not their instinct.

 

[Enlighten]

(from this article)
BBC News - German incest couple lose European Court case


This highlights the type of people that engage in incest.

The sister had a personality disorder - now why am I not surprised here?

WOW WOW WOW - you are generalising again. Lets be careful here, not everyone with a personality disorder wants to engage in an incestious relationship. The male didn't have a disorder from what I read. They were both consenting adults who chose to be in the relationship. We don't know what the disorder the female has either to jump to such a wild assumption.

do normal people usually engage in such activity? - no , they don't!

It really depends on what you define as "normal", it is normal for some otherwise it wouldn't happen. It just happens to be that most (that I know of) wouldn't engage in it so to "us" it is not normal.

Even the supporters of legalising incest, on this thread, seem to agree on this point.

Look even if it were to be legalised do you think that would make everyone think "YEY I'm off to scr*w my brother/sister", no it wouldn't, people would just carry on as they normally would with their same attractions. It's not as if when gay marriage is legalised then I am going to run out and marry a woman for the sheer hell of it either.

 

[nnmartin]

I am not so sure about that.

I think that if incest were leagalised then some people may be encouraged to 'try' it.

The same could apply to many things , such as drugs for example.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

So what? Some people try asparagus... doesnt mean the end of the world is upon us.

 

[Enlighten]

I am not so sure about that.

I think that if incest were leagalised then some people may be encouraged to 'try' it.

The same could apply to many things , such as drugs for example.

Not really, as I said it wouldn't make me want to go sleep with my brother. If drugs were legal I wouldn't want to go try them either as it doesn't fit with me personally. Same for every other "ban" thread that has been created. If it doesn't fit with a person they wont try it for the sheer hell of it.

 

[nnmartin]

ok, well think how many people try alcohol.

Nearly everyone does because it is so easily available.

the same could be said for internet pornography.

People will try many things the once at least , if they can, and for some ,it only takes one time to find out that they like it.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

So? No I am not asking to be a pain, I am serious. So what if they do like it? So what if they engage in it? So what?

 

[nnmartin]

so you don't think that there is anything wrong in encouraging incest by legalising it?

 

[InformedIgnorance]

I do not believe that not banning something is the same as encouraging it. And I do not believe that there is anything wrong with not banning incest.

 

[McBell]

ok, well think how many people try alcohol.

Nearly everyone does because it is so easily available.

the same could be said for internet pornography.

People will try many things the once at least , if they can, and for some ,it only takes one time to find out that they like it.

Do you really think that there are underground groups of people just waiting for incest to be legal so they can give it a whirl?

 

[McBell]

so you don't think that there is anything wrong in encouraging incest by legalising it?

How does legalizing something "encourage" it?
This is the same old faulty logic behind the epic fail known as "abstinence only".

 

[nnmartin]

legalising something makes it more available.

Many people look at internet porn because they can.

Many people drink because there is a bar or shop nearby which sells alcohol.

How many men do you know that have never looked at an adult site on their computer?

It is there, so it is encouraged simply due to that fact.