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Cousin marriage laws outdated
Science Codex ^ | December 23, 2008

Posted on 12/22/2008 8:09:29 PM PST by CE2949BB

Laws banning marriage between first cousins are based on outdated assumptions about a high degree of genetic risk for offspring and should be repealed, according to a population genetics expert.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencecodex.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Health/Medicine; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: cousin; genetics; homosexualagenda; incest; marriage; polygamy
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To: CE2949BB

It will lead to poor genetics. We have seen inbreeding issues within tight lines of royalty.

We also see that inbreeding produces a weaker strain with respect to any animals we raise. we see increased problems with dogs that are inbred, cats, rabbits, etc.


21 posted on 12/22/2008 8:46:11 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: CE2949BB

Consanguinity has been a bar to marriage since the early Middle Ages. The point of the ban was to prevent family alliances from segregating the ruling, propertied classes into endogamous factions which, lengthy experience showed, was a recipe for endemic and irresoluble blood-feuds.

19th eugenics just offered another justification, with a veneer of scientistic rationality and without the icky unpleasantness of the Church spouting common sense.


22 posted on 12/22/2008 8:47:38 PM PST by Philo-Junius (One precedent creates another. They soon accumulate and constitute law.)
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To: Star Traveler

First of all, it would seem that you are mixing up what I said with what others have said. My statements were stated with sarcasm. You might revisit my post and note the “God help us. ;-(“ at the end.

I am in no way an adherent of cousin on cousin marriage. Nor any other perversion of the marriage vows sanctioned by Gods Holy Word.


23 posted on 12/22/2008 8:47:44 PM PST by doc1019
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To: Star Traveler

The people may not have, but all it takes is a judge to impose it on the people.

judges are lucky they aren’t generally removed the old-fashioned way anymore.


24 posted on 12/22/2008 8:48:04 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Philo-Junius

There’s nothing in the Bible against cousins marrying—that’s how the Lees and the other aristocratic families of the colonial era justified their inbreeding. Torah permitted uncles to marry nieces, as well, although many sages taught against it.


25 posted on 12/22/2008 8:52:13 PM PST by Philo-Junius (One precedent creates another. They soon accumulate and constitute law.)
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To: CE2949BB

Who knew Harvard had so many professors from Arkansas?


26 posted on 12/22/2008 8:52:42 PM PST by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: CE2949BB

Ziwi’s already intermarry brother’s and sisters.


27 posted on 12/22/2008 8:54:17 PM PST by delacoert
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To: CE2949BB

I believe first cousins may marry in 38 states.
Given the choice between gay marriage and polygamy, I’ll take the one with biblical precedent before the one that is an abomination.


28 posted on 12/22/2008 8:55:13 PM PST by fortunate sun (Tagline written in lemon juice.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel
If study of the royal houses of Europe can shed light on anything, there is the German or maybe Bavarian, royal house in which there was so much intermarriage of cousins that a mental illness took hold and that line has vanished. And in Queen Victoria's line hemophilia was a problem. I think it has more to do with the potential for the genetic mutations to meet that drives this. I suppose it is riskier because of the closeness of the bloodlines and genetics but that said a couple can marry and have kids and those kids can end up with some rare disease that only could manifest itself it the two genetic factors by chance meet. Otherwise one would just be a carrier. But someone with a background in genetics could speak to this.
29 posted on 12/22/2008 8:55:47 PM PST by celtic gal
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To: Secret Agent Man

You said — “The people may not have, but all it takes is a judge to impose it on the people.”

It would seem that a significant number of the people have gone along with this — maybe not enough at this stage to create a voting majority, but that’s been changing.

The *confusion* is evident, though — about “moral absolutes” in that even right here on Free Republic, people cannot distinguish between the *moral absolutes* of the Bible (which is against homosexual marriage and homosexuality) — while that very same Bible (and God) is *not against* cousins getting married.

If people persist in this kind of moral confusion, then it’s no wonder that the homosexuals are gaining ground...


30 posted on 12/22/2008 8:56:16 PM PST by Star Traveler
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To: CE2949BB

No matter what its genetic consequences, it is still unseemly (and a little bir creepy).


31 posted on 12/22/2008 8:57:57 PM PST by Dionysius (Jingoism is no vice.)
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To: doc1019

You said — “I am in no way an adherent of cousin on cousin marriage. Nor any other perversion of the marriage vows sanctioned by Gods Holy Word.”

The point I was making is that “God’s Holy Word” speaks to many moral prohibitions that you listed. And those should remain as they are *moral absolutes* which do not change over time.

But, if you list cousin marriage as in that list, then you’re wrong. You will find absolutely *nothing* against that in the Bible, and nothing that the Bible says that makes it a perversion for that to be.

In fact, we have some of our most famous Bible characters who were married, with full blessings from God, being cousins. Such is not condemned in the Bible for marriage.

You shouldn’t link something that happens to be “people’s opinions” and mix them up with God’s Holy Word...


32 posted on 12/22/2008 9:00:29 PM PST by Star Traveler
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To: Secret Agent Man
It will lead to poor genetics. We have seen inbreeding issues within tight lines of royalty.

They're called democrats...
33 posted on 12/22/2008 9:02:33 PM PST by Issaquahking
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To: Star Traveler

Gee, you are right! Having spent almost 55 years studing the Bible … my understanding is almost assuredly off.

May you and yours enjoy a great and wonderful Christmas and a happy new year.


34 posted on 12/22/2008 9:13:17 PM PST by doc1019
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To: IrishPennant

I got it from an episode of Married With Children and have used it ever since.


35 posted on 12/22/2008 9:18:40 PM PST by LukeL (Yasser Arafat: "I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize")
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To: doc1019

You said — “Gee, you are right! Having spent almost 55 years studing the Bible … my understanding is almost assuredly off.”

I will assure you — 100% — it is most certainly “off” in this regard, without a doubt. You need to look a lot closer at what you’ve been reading for 55 years...


36 posted on 12/22/2008 9:20:04 PM PST by Star Traveler
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To: Star Traveler

Just having fun with you. We all learn everyday, the day we don’t learn something we are dead. In all my years of studying the Bible, I learn something new each and every day. Jesus be praised. ;-)


37 posted on 12/22/2008 9:29:35 PM PST by doc1019
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To: doc1019; SunkenCiv; null and void

Sisters Leah and Rachel both married their cousin.... the same one. Jacob, who fled to his mother’s brother for shelter when his own twin brother wanted to kill him.
It didn’t turn out so well.
There are lessons to be learned.
Where did it go wrong? The polygamy or the cousin marriage?
The favoritism shown to one set of sons over the older boys?
Or way back when his uncle betrayed him by replacing his beloved bride with her older sister?

Just because some favorite Biblical characters did something doesn’t mean it was such a good idea.

The good news is that all the tricks and betrayals meant for evil were turned to serve God’s good purpose for His people because someone extraordinary, Joseph, was born from that mess.


38 posted on 12/23/2008 12:28:22 AM PST by ValerieTexas
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To: the OlLine Rebel
Disagree. In breeding concentrates negative traits. As an example, displagia in some dogs, as well as poor mental acuity.

Works with humans too. Track the bloodlines of Queen Victoria (Grandmother of Europe) and you will see.

39 posted on 12/23/2008 3:24:09 AM PST by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: Jimmy Valentine

Inbreeding also concentrates GOOD traits.

That’s dysplasia; I’m a German Shepherd nut. It has nothing to do with inbreeding being inherently worse than outcrossing.

If it weren’t for inbreeding, we wouldn’t have the German Shepherd and the Thoroughbred (I’m a racing nut too - in fact, I’m a pedigree nut) in such short times.

There are problems, but that is mostly from carelessness. There is nothing about inbreeding that inherently means bad things will surface.

Look at it objectively and you’ll see it’s mostly just the “eewwww” factor.


40 posted on 12/23/2008 7:20:14 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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