Post your views on cousin relationships

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Studies seem to indicate that cousin couples share the same risk for having birth defects as middle aged couples, and it's also said that cousin marriages can be filled with profound intimacy. This information conflicts with what I've heard from most people who think that cousin marriages will result in ret*d children with all kinds of problems. I personally think that being romantically involved with your cousin is nothing to be ashamed of as long as you don't have too many children,( the more children you have the greater the chance is that you will have a child with birth defects ) but I want your opinions on this. Feel free to give biblical evidince, genetic reasons, etc, and when you post your view on cousin marriages, please give reasons that support your view.

I have a cousin marriage in my family tree... .

Okay...but what's your view on marriage between cousins

I find it disgusting. That said, so many famous historical figures of old have done it(Washington, Christopher Robbins, and others), so it's sort of more acceptable than people think.

I don't find it disgusting at all... call me crazy. But there have been studies done indicating that the fear of inbreeding between cousins is not as serious as once thought. Now if cousins reproduced and then the offspring married cousins and their offspring married cousins... you might run into a problem.

There is a movie with Ralph Fiennes, Sunshine, that has a beautiful love story between 2 cousins. I am taking a wild guess that it might have been more acceptable in Jewish culture (the cousins were Jewish in the movie). But I don't know.

i have alot of hot cousins that i've thought about sticking it into many times

Its a bit gay.

If you and your cousins are the same sex.

As I've said on another thread of this type, I'm adopted, and am unable to easily (IE: without a whole bunch of time and legal fees unless I need a transplant right now or some-such) get info on my birth parents. Ironically, about the only folks I know for certain aren't related to me are the folks in my adoptive family... (Thus my fondness for short women with dark hair. I'm tall, adopted, and have a very strong desire to never find myself on the Jerry Springer Show...)
All that said, while it's genetically no big deal for close cousins to hook up for a generation every now and again, it is a big deal socially. As it should be. It keeps this from becoming a regular event, which would be a Bad Thing from a genetic standpoint. (cf: Dunwich & Innsmouth, MA, various royal families, and the extras in "Deliverance") One of the few cases where shame is still allowed to provide a socially useful function, but that's a rant for the politics area. I view close cousins schtupping much the same as I view polyamorus households or, to a lesser extent, homosexuality. If it floats the boat of everyone involved and everyone involved is of legal age, you'll get no more than a raised eyebrow from me. (Though, I'm more accepting of homosexuality than I am of the other two as it's more self-limiting as we currently understand it. Again, a seperate topic.) However, it should happen on the QT and the folks involved should expect to be socially rejected because that sort of lifestyle has very negative effects if widely adopted. Genetic issues with the family marriages, young men with no hopes of marriage in polygamous societies, unintentional incest with group marriages or "Free Love" set-ups, reduced offspring with widescale adoptation of homosexuality. (Again, that last is unlikely as it seems to have a genetic cause for folks who're truly "gay", however you'd be amazed at what folks will do to follow a fad...)

Tried to look for some statistics, found this article:
http://www.nysun.com/article/36394?page_no=2

It says what you mentioned about sharing the same risk as couples over 40. It states that there's an 6 to 8% probability of having a problem. Personally I think that's a very high number.

^^ it is ..and it might be higher for some cases....

Many royal persons in Europe were or are married to their cousins.

Disgusting

owned

Mitch, actually give a reason as to why you think cousin mariage is repulsive, don't just say it's discusting. I personally think cousin relationships can filled with intense intimacy because of the special family bond that cousins share. After reading that sentence, you probably think that I'm a supporter of incest, but I'm most certainly not. I believe realtionships between all other other family member besides cousins are discusting because aunts, siters, brothers, etc share too many of the same genes and it's just simply not natural to have a crush on either on of them. I agree with whoever created the link to Kissing cousins,(lol, sorry for not remembering your name ) statistically it's perfectly okay to have a few children with your cousin.

Actually what I did reply on your former subject. I just think its unusual. That's all.