[Recovering_Democrat]

Of course the legislative body of New Zealand will not adopt this idea...just like, oh, two years ago gay marriage was unheard of.

Sickening.

[2banana]

All it takes is four unelected judges...

[TheSpottedOwl]

Insane.

Ping your lists for this one.

[AZBear]

Ping

[EggsAckley]

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."

Guess he hasn't been to the Ozarks. (just kidding)

This is all based on junk science AND junk history. Brother/sister marriages were very common throughout history. The Egyptian royal families are a perfect example. Some of the offspring of those unions turned out VERY strange.

[zarf]

The die has been cast. There's no turning back....get over it.

As Cal Thomas said: It's time for the hetero whiners who have done all in their power to destroy the institution of marriage to get their own houses in order and lead by example.

[claudiustg]

---"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.---

This guy should give serious thought to taking up some innocuous hobby in his retirement. It's best not to be talking this way around normal folks.

[SF Republican]

so thats why them hobbits is so small

[Steve_Seattle]

What is unthinkable today is tomorrow's "constitutional right."

[lilylangtree]

"Modern Society"? Appears that "modern" civilization is in a state of retro not advancing.

[Agnes Heep]

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

The ones who get the genetic damage of course will be comforted by the knowledge that it will be eliminated after several generations.

[Egon]

And it begins...

[StrictTime]

Wonder if this sister/brother team will move to NZ:


Angelina Jolie and her brother, James Haven

[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.

[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?

[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!