Is incest really that bad?

Original post by Chopinnocturne31

I just don’t think it’s right for family members to be having sex. Family relationships are designed to be different from sexual relationships.

I agree, but that's just societal conditioning. It doesn't show why such a limited-context sexual relationship is necessarily "wrong".

Reply 21

Ru619a

6

Original post by curtains_s

When people in an incestuous relationship make kids, their kids are more likely to suffer from genetic disorders. However, they could just not make kids together. There are sperm donors out there who can help them have healthier children, they could adopt, or they could just not have kids at all.

If they don't make kids together, there isn't really a problem with their relationship. If they are in love, what's wrong with that? Their relationship has no impact on anyone else, as it's nothing to do with them.

The only real issue with incest is that the kids they make could suffer, but there's still a way around that, so what's wrong with incest?

I am interested to see what you would say to this.

Could you make the same argument for pedophillia? Let's assume they do not go anywhere near kids or endanger them in any way - they still can't control their sexual attraction to kids much like incest can not be controlled. Would you agree with this?

Reply 22

QE2

20

Original post by Picnic1

Incest is seen as an abuse of being in a favourable position. If person x has depended on person y since birth for a roof over their head, food, clothing, even to have their bottom wiped, there's a sense that, even if person y waits until person x is of a legal age, x is still getting a kick out of having sex with someone who they first saw naked as a baby/young girl and whose very identity was moulded by them. It's frowned upon and, whilst many legal things should be frowned upon, it's clear why incest remains frowned upon and illegal. It looks like retrospective grooming.

Indeed, but that relates to the individual nature of the relationship dynamic, not the basic concept of a equitable sexual relationship.
Your argument can apply to many non-consanguineous relationships, but we con't consider every non-consanguineous relationship to be abhorrent because of that.

Reply 23

QE2

20

Original post by Ru619a

I am interested to see what you would say to this.

Could you make the same argument for pedophillia? Let's assume they do not go anywhere near kids or endanger them in any way - they still can't control their sexual attraction to kids much like incest can not be controlled. Would you agree with this?

The issues with pedophilia are consent and harm. In a fully informed, consensual, adult relationship, neither of these apply, so your analogy does not work.

Reply 24

Ru619a

6

Original post by QE2

The issues with pedophilia are consent and harm. In a fully informed, consensual, adult relationship, neither of these apply, so your analogy does not work.

Of course I ageee that there shouldnt be any relationship whatsoever between children and adults.

But at the same time, people frown upon 60 year old men who are in a relationship with an 18 yr old. I can sympathesise with those couples and don't think it is "weird" at all. They love each other and are both consenting adults, so I don't like the fact it is looked down upon.

Reply 25

QE2

20

Original post by Ru619a

Of course I ageee that there shouldnt be any relationship whatsoever between children and adults.

But at the same time, people frown upon 60 year old men who are in a relationship with an 18 yr old. I can sympathesise with those couples and don't think it is "weird" at all. They love each other and are both consenting adults, so I don't like the fact it is looked down upon.

If it is fully informed, adult and consensual, I don't see how anything else is necessarily relevant.
The reason that many people are critical of young attractive women being in relationships with old (usually rich) men is the bit in parentheses rather than the age difference itself.

Reply 26

tazarooni89

20

Original post by LovelyMrFox

Generally yes, but there are a few exceptions to that. Most things that we do are what society tell us to do, even actions as simple as eating breakfast in the morning.