The question of the legality (or marality) of incest arose in a separate thread and I thought this was interesting a subject on its own merit to warrant its own thread.

On the aforementioned thread, the point was being debated that some countries have incest outlawed while in others, the laws have been changed recent to not explicitly outlaw it [incest]. I asked the questions;

1) Why is incest illegal or immoral?

2) Whose rights or property(ies) does incest violates?

What do you think?

Hello my friend, why did you add 2 to your name? was huxley original axed my Nairaland God - Seun.

Anyway to your question, Incest is Immoral. I view morality/immorality to laws aimed at aiding the progress of societies. Incestous relationships have a high probability of resulting in defective and weak offsprings, and over generations, the society or species would face the threat of extinction. Even animals mave a way of avoiding inbreeding. The closer the relationship of the incenstious couple,the higher the probability of genetic defect.

When someone says that some countries allow for incestious relationship, i think that is not exactly true. It depends on the definition of incest. Some societies like African societies view relationships with cousins (even if it is 5th cousin) as incestious, while Arabs allow for marriage between first cousins and uncles. Eveb the jews used to promote relationship between uncles and nieces. (abraham's marriage to his half sister was odd and i do not think it was repeated any where else in the Bible).

I do not think there is any society that condones sexual relationship between a mother and son or between a father and daughter or between actual brothers and sisters (except some instances in the Bible).

Immoral for most,but the only way for some few exalted ones.