Why is Incest illegal in the UK?

Do you think it's always immoral to go against one's own natural instincts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_the_children_(politics)
"an appeal to emotion"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_emotion
"is a logical fallacy"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_fallacy
"a fallacy is incorrect reasoning in argumentation resulting in a misconception"

Again, contraceptive sex or homosexual incest. No one being harmed = moral.

Do you then agree to these three propositions -

1. Incestuous relationships where one or both of the participants is infertile is not immoral/should not be illegal

2. People with hereditary genetic diseases shouldn't be allowed to procreate

3. Same sex incestuous relationships are not immoral/shouldn't be illegal

?

Of course not, it is impossible not to do so sometimes (like when in danger). But when you are sober and have the power to rationalise there is no excuse to give into instincts, especially when it can cause grief.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you appear to be contradicting yourself.

On the one hand, you suggest that humans should not simply be left to their basic primitive instincts. But on the other hand, you suggest that incest is wrong because it goes against our natural instincts?

I don't understand. Do you believe we should always abide by our natural instincts, or not? The second quote implies that it is wrong to go against out natural instincts. But the first quote suggests that we should not just be governed by our natural instincts.

I'm not, it's not natural to want to procreate with our immediate family. To a handful it may be in their instincts to have sex with their sibling, but they won't be natural (much like having and eating disorder, it doesn't seem natural to eat to them although it is natural to eat).

Most people left to natural instincts would be fine, we do use them everyday. To ensure everyone keeps in line with these there are laws because some people have abnormal instincts, like those whom like their siblings.

But I mean, is there any need to ensure that people always keep in line with natural instincts? Is there always something wrong with acting on an unusual instinct?

For example, homosexuality isn't exactly the most common instinct, it's relatively unusual. Should there be laws to prevent people from acting on such instincts, because they're "abnormal"?

Basically you are forcing someone to not be with the person that they love. How is that fair and acceptable in a liberal society?




Imagine if homosexuality became legalised? Would it become the norm to sleep with someone of your own gender? Oh wait.

By using the argument about increased levels of genetic disease, you contradict yourself because you say that disabled people should be allowed to have children in your first paragraph, so if increased levels of genetic defects within the pool are a bad thing, then surely disabled people should be banned from having children.

My argument isn't based on stopping them from sleeping together or loving each other, its on having children. by all means people should be allowed to do what they wish if its with both parties consent. I never said disabled people should be allowed to have children, I just said that it seems unfair to use that argument as by banning a disabled person from having childen you're banning there total right to breed, wheras with incest you're not, your only banning the right for breeding within blood relation, the same person could still go out and have children with a non blood relation. moreover my point itself is quite irrelevent thinking about it. but I concede, it would only be logical for a ban to be put on disabled people having children if incest is to remain banned.
I don't know the science on what genetic faults can be caused by inbreeding, so I really can not comment on it.

Well as I said, I think incestuous relationships of all kinds should remain banned, or heavily discouraged at the very least. Incestuous marriage should certainly go unrecognised by the state, and I think the social stigma associated with it should be allowed to continue. So that is where I would personally draw the line.


But it isn't simply on the basis of "The kids will be deformed". Who said anything about kids?
If we were going on this argument alone, then I wouldn't ban incestuous relationships at all. A compulsory part of sex education would be learning about the risks involved in such relationships - and it is your job to evaluate the risks for yourself. If you chose to take that risk and ended up with a genetically disordered child, then it would be your load to bear.

Plus, if we're banning such relationships, we've got another question of "where do you draw the line?" Do you prohibit brother/sister relationships? What about first cousins? Second cousins? Uncle/Niece? How do you decide exactly which relationships are considered "incestuous" and which one aren't?
And to make this question even more difficult to answer, you've got to consider the fact that, for example, one pair of first cousins might pose a much higher risk to producing disordered children than a different pair of first cousins, depending on their previous ancestry.

It wouldn't be your load to bear, because it will be the child that will be suffering. That's why I'm against it....

It's illegal because it is a perversion. The fact that so many pro-homosexualists are on this thread saying that incest can be ok because homosex is now seen as ok is frankly disturbing.

Necrophilia, bestiality, and incest between siblings is legal in numerous European states now. Hardcore porn is sold at ordinary newsstands, pro-pedophilia campaigners are beginning to get academic respect... Once you remove any moral boundaries from life based on God and natural law, you will have polymorphous sexual bacchanalia and the lusts of the flesh will overcome any inhibition (even the most natural ones.)

There are children with reactive attachment disorder who were born as a result of their mothers being sexually abused by their fathers. So their Dad and Grandpa is the same man. Ask them if incest is acceptable.
(Or ask any person with a sense of civilized values- as many of these children don't even know the truth of their parentage, the information being hidden by professionals under the rules that something which can "harm the mental wellbeing of the subject" may be withheld.)