MPs urged to repeal ban on incest (THE SLIPPERY SLOPE HAS ALREADY STARTED!!)

New Zealand Herald ^ | 5/19/04

[Recovering_Democrat]

MPs have been asked to repeal the ban on incest between consenting adults.

Retired history professor Peter Munz told MPs who were considering the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) that the age-old ban was not needed in modern society.

"Today, if siblings -- against all odds - should fall in love with each other, they should be welcome to it," Prof Munz said.

A quick straw poll of MPs showed no support for the proposal.

Prof Munz argued that the worldwide taboo was an inheritance from paleolithic society,

"In each tribe or society the woman must not be available for consumption, so to speak, at home. They must be kept and treasured as capital to be invested in fomenting relations with so-called foreigners," Prof Munz said.

The professor, who said he used to lecture at Wellington's Victoria University, said that the risk of interbreeding causing genetically damaged children was no reason for a legal ban.

"It has been shown that such genetic damage, being sporadic in the first place, will be eliminated after several generations."

There was evidence that sexual desire among siblings was minimal.

"It is therefore superfluous to make indulgence in incest between consenting adults, a criminal offence...(as) there are now better ways of winning friends and influencing them than to prohibit incest."

[captaindude2]

can I say "i told you so" too all the pro gay marriage people who said that this could never happen??

[jas3]

It is interesting to note, however, that US law doesn't prohibit prospective parents who both carry recessive genes for horrid and tragic diseases like Tay-Sachs from having children.

In such cases there is a 25% chance that the child born will have a hellish and brief life.

This compares to odds a full order of magnitude lower for cousins or siblings who are otherwise genetically normal to have a child with some sort of serious genetic problem.

The science behind close relatives having children has advanced well past the taboos.

And while there are still excellent reasons for maintaining such taboos, protecting genetic health of the prospective children is not one of them.

It is not even illegal in any US state for two 18 year olds with CF to have a child even though there is a 100% chance the child will have CF and a terrible quality of life. There is, at least, the chance that CF will be curable within 18 years.

But for Tay-Sachs, the recessive parent carriers who lose their 1 in 4 bet won't see their child make it to age 5 on average. Do we as a society prohibit these parents from trying to have children? Should we?

If not, then the rationale behind siblings or cousins having offspring also fails given that the odds of a resultant problem are so much lower.

The same is true for autosomal dominant disorders such as Achondroplasia (a type of dwarfism) in which one in four offspring will die at or shortly after birth. Two in four children will inherit their parents' dwarfism. And one in four will luck into the double recessive genes and be "right sized."

Familial relations my be morally wrong, an affront to decency, etc. But they should not be prohibited on the basis of genetics unless you are also willing to prohibit millions of other's who are far more likely to produce a child with serious genetic problems from having children.

I don't think anybody is willing to cross that line.

[MontanaBeth]

Just when you think they've finally hit bottom, they come up with something lower.

[r9etb]

The Egyptian royal families are a perfect example. Some of the offspring of those unions turned out VERY strange.

Intermarriage in the European Royal Families also explains why hemophilia is so common among the ruling classes.....

[ZULU]

"Prof Munz argued that the worldwide taboo was an inheritance from paleolithic society,.."

So are courage, honor, loyalty and love for your spouse.

Western Society is ripe for Islamic conquest because it has lost its moral compass. Unfortunately, Islam has its own problems also.

[Young Werther]

I suppose those New Zealand judges will go on a "pickin and a grinnin!"

[Uncle Miltie]

Hasn't New Zealand lots of sheep?

[gathersnomoss]

What the...? Alright, everybody out of the pool.

[gathersnomoss]

Ned had better stay far away fron NZ if he doesn't want to be subjected to a nasty flashback. Oofa.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Hemophilia anyone?

[NYer]

"Today, if siblings -- against all odds - should fall in love with each other, they should be welcome to it," Prof Munz said.

He's nuts!

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[NYer]

Ping!

[tob2]

I'm speachless, shocked, what on earth are they thinking?

[little jeremiah]

Posted here with comments - thanks for the alert though!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1139664/posts

I can't say it enough times - RICK SANTORUM WAS RIGHT!!!

[GovernmentShrinker]

Does the government REALLY need to promulgate and enforce laws against incest between consenting adults? It's a very uncommon practice, and will never catch on widely, regardless of its legal status. Most people just don't want to have sex with their sibling or adult offspring or parent. And while most of us regard it as icky and/or immoral, it has no effect on our lives if a few people are engaging in it, so why do we need to dispatch government agents to stop it?

[Recovering_Democrat]

Does the government REALLY need to promulgate and enforce laws against incest between consenting adults?

Yes.

[GovernmentShrinker]

But for Tay-Sachs, the recessive parent carriers who lose their 1 in 4 bet won't see their child make it to age 5 on average. Do we as a society prohibit these parents from trying to have children? Should we?

Prohibit, no; but discourage, yes. Allow insurance companies to exclude coverage for Tay-Sachs, CF, Huntington disease and other severe genetic disorders for which genetic testing is now available, and more parents who are likely to be carriers will get themselves tested first, and if they are carriers, then opt for IVF with preimplantation diagnosis as their route to reproduction. The technology now exists to make these diseases completely preventable, without anyone having to forgo reproducing.