Is kissing cousins ok?

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   brittvan22posted 11 years ago

   Is kissing cousins ok?
   
   I am watching Dr. Phil, and there are two cousins (grandmothers are sisters) thats makes them 3rd cousins and they are engaged and getting married. They live together and participate in unmentionable activities. I know since the dawn of time incest has been happening, but I still think its gross. They have decided not to have kids and think its not going to happen (naive). Are I wrong for finding this unthinkable?
   
   

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   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   I agree. This is just morally wrong. There are too many people out there to marry someone in you family. Very disturbing.

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Dr. Phil didnt discourage it, I was in shock. He just told them if they did have kids research says the kid will be normal.  I still think its wrong.

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      JThomp42posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I totally agree britt.

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3. 60

   win-winresourcesposted 11 years ago

   Hi Brittvan-
   
   This would not seem to, legally, rise to incest (a very emotionallly charged word).  Also I think that these two people (if grandmothers are sisters) are second cousins if they are in the same generation.
   
   Whether they choose to have children is certainly their choice, and genetically they would be diverse enough to not have to be concerned with any problems. It seems that second cousins share approximately 3.125% genetic matter.  Third cousins less than 1%.
   
   Lastly, what consenting adults do can hardly be described as "unmentionable activities", for is it really ours to judge?

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It is legal, ok 2nd cousins, still cousins none the less. Well, you cant say everything on hubpage, duh? And I am being polite it repulses me, and those are my feelings. You can have an opinon w/o judging, stand for something, fall for anything.

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      win-winresourcesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Brittvan-
      
      Of course you are entitled to your opinion and you can be repulsed as well.  But didn't your hub ask for comments?  Or did you just want those that agreed with you?
      
      -DW

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   3. 75

      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I did ask a question, don't need validation from others, you are entitled to your opinion, just like corrected me on 2nd cousins, I corrected you on it being legal. Is it that you wanted me to remain silent? I am very opinionated. Happy Hubbing!

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4. 68

   Mazzy Boleroposted 11 years ago

   There has been some publicity in Britain recently about the high rate of serious birth defects in babies born to people from the Pakistani community married to their first cousins.  This is common in their community and it's not illegal in the UK.  I also have a good friend whose parents were first cousins.  I wouldn't wish him unborn, but on the whole I don't think marrying your first cousin is a good idea.

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.

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   junksellerposted 11 years ago

   It's gross because society spends an enormous amount of time teaching people that it is gross. In reality it is just love and love is awesome. As for kids, the research I have seen says that the chance of defects are not much greater than for other couples. Some even suggest that inbreeding is beneficial. One study of inbred couples (cousins) showed that they produced more grandchildren than other couples. it is entirely possible that social benefits (stable households, shared values, family wealth) are greater than the potential genetic deficits.
   
   As squeamish as you may be about it, if you look at the whole history of the world, cousin couples have been extremely common, especially in the old days when people were far less mobile. It is still pretty common today. In some parts of the world it is quite common. And actually, the US is the only nation in the Western world which has any bans on cousin marriage at all. It is still, however, legal in many states.

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your input!

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      Mazzy Boleroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      junkseller, a BBC program in 2005 said British Pakistanis babies have 13 times as many genetic disorders as the general population.  They have 3% of the births, but 33% of the genetic illnesses. Is that "not much greater" chance of defects?

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      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Heavy inbreeding over many generations can have such consequences. You see the same thing in some royal families. Overall, however, defects are not much higher than normal, from the evidence I have seen.

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      Mazzy Boleroposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's a good point, junkseller. However, if marrying first cousins is allowed, there's nothing to stop such continued inbreeding when it's a cultural norm.  When it's a one-off, it's only a risk with recessive illnesses like epilepsy.

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      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree and I think everyone should be more careful. Cousin or not, however, very few people ask genetic questions on a first date (or ever do so).

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   FreezeFrame34posted 11 years ago

   I was always taught that you don't go looking for love at the family reunion.
   
   I don't care whether it's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, cousins, whatever. If you share the same family tree, or the branches don't divide on the way up, there's something wrong.
   
   But technically God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, so aren't we all related anyway?

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      lol interesting way of putting south carolinans have a way of saying things, lol.

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      FreezeFrame34posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Now that I think of it, my mother had a fairly common last name where I grew up. I would always ask a potential date if they had anyone in the family with the last name _____. I didn't want to be kissing my cousin!

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Lol, I'm from SC, too. Oh no!

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   LikaMarieposted 11 years ago

   Here in Wisconsin, if there is a biological relation of 4th cousin or closer, you CANNOT marry, unless one or both of you are not fertile.  When you're 5th cousin or further, it's not considered related enough to have the birth defects.
   
   But still...  My Godparents are popular people in the family.  Thing is, I'm related on my aunt's side, and they have plenty of nephews (and a couple nieces) from my uncle's side.  Because we are from the different sides, and if they divorced, my uncle isn't related by marriage anymore, his nephews wouldn't be related either.  It's still awkward for me to think that once upon a time, someone tried to set me up with one of his nephews.  I couldn't do it...
   
   So I'm with you.  I wouldn't do it because it's kind of gross.

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      agreed.

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   DDEposted 11 years ago

   I don't agree on kissing  first cousins, it shouldn't be  it is just like kissing  your brother or sister

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      brittvan22posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I hear ya, and definitely agree!

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   Lin02posted 11 years ago

   It is and will always remain gross. But you can't fight with love. Love is immortal. It can't see borders, relations and persons.

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    daskittlez69posted 11 years ago

    Personally I don't see anything wrong with a 2nd or third cousin getting married.  I think it is weird and I would not personally do it, but hey to each their own.  As far as I know a 2nd cousin wouldn't/shouldn't have a child that has birth defects because of them being cousins.  1st cousins is different, that is taking a huge risk and is in my opinion disgusting.

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