NationStates Jolt Archive

Had the thought the other day.. how close is too close when it comes to having relations..with a relation? FDR married his 5th cuz twice removed, Giuliani even married his 2nd cousin for 14 years then divorced and countless other people have married or held relations with relatives of one form or another. So my question to the open minded people of NSG is how close is the limit?

Are the important factors of borderline incest strictly cultural taboo? Or is religion an important factor in making that determination? Or, is mathematical chance of raising handicapped offspring the determining factor. And finally on top of all these, does love have anything to do with it? Does it matter or not if both people love each other fervently and have never met during their childhood lives thus making them by non-biological terms unrelated?

Let the discussion begin. In my own opinion I see first cousins as like brothers and sisters but after that it can quickly become a fuzzy line with things like how you met or if you've ever known each other before becoming increasingly important factors.

I would excuse cousins. It is taking a genetic risk, but small one. However, it should not be something done more than every few generations or so.

Anything closer than cousin I would not advise.

How close is...too close...

This close

This close

*cleans saliva off face*

Are the important factors of borderline incest strictly cultural taboo? Or is religion an important factor in making that determination? Or, is mathematical chance of raising handicapped offspring the determining factor.Simply put, yes
And finally on top of all these, 1)does love have anything to do with it? 2)Does it matter or not if both people love each other fervently and have never met during their childhood lives thus making them by non-biological terms unrelated? 1) Probably yes, at least from their point of view 2) Again possibly
Let the discussion begin. In my own opinion I see first cousins as like brothers and sisters but after that it can quickly become a fuzzy line with things like how you met or if you've ever known each other before becoming increasingly important factors.
Seems reasonable to me

first cousins is iffy. anything after that is fine.

*cleans saliva off face*

:( sorry *wipes mouth with napkin*

Not sure.. I don't even know through what connection one would have a 3rd, 4th, or 5th cousin. I do know however, that if I ever go to Sweden I need to carry around a family tree or something, because there are countless relatives and cousins there whom I do not even know.

:( sorry *wipes mouth with napkin*

*takes back underwear*

*takes back underwear*

Oops :p

Oops :p

*blushes* *takes napkin out of pants*

How hot is she?

It's "too close" if you're a Habsburg.

*runs*

*blushes* *takes napkin out of pants*

"Meh, don't need it now..."
* puts napkin back in TPE's pants...*



*and not in the pockets either ;)*
:fluffle:

There is no such thing as too close. Well, maybe not parent/child, unless it involves a particularly hot mom, but siblings is definitely OK.

There is no such thing as too close. Well, maybe not parent/child, unless it involves a particularly hot mom, but siblings is definitely OK.

I predict a lot of people attacking you for this post


*attacks ColaDrinkers*


see I was right ;)

I predict a lot of people attacking you for this post

Perhaps, but these people should just read enough adult mangas until they get over it. And start wishing they had a hot sister.

*attacks ColaDrinkers*

*points up*

I don't poke around in peoples underwear, really if I want to hump a relative its my own business (not that I would I seem to have some bad genes out there)

does love have anything to do with it?

whats love got to do with it?! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWIpx_bSiE)

There is no such thing as too close. Well, maybe not parent/child, unless it involves a particularly hot mom, but siblings is definitely OK.

*attacks ColaDrinkers*

see I was right ;)

psst.. you owe me for that one. Extra for the timewarp too..

psst.. you owe me for that one. Extra for the timewarp too..

*tosses Bann-ed a cookie*

If it's good enough for Einstein, it's good enough for the rest of us.

Lol one is always guaranteed an interesting set of replies posting any sort of question on NSG.

*tosses Bann-ed a cookie*
*pockets cookie inconspicuously*
whats love got to do with it?! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWIpx_bSiE)

whats love got to do with it!? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQl_GflOT0U&feature=related)

"Meh, don't need it now..."
* puts napkin back in TPE's pants...*



*and not in the pockets either ;)*
:fluffle:

:eek: You are right. This Close is too close. *toddles in reverse*

Are the important factors of borderline incest strictly cultural taboo? Or is religion an important factor in making that determination? Or, is mathematical chance of raising handicapped offspring the determining factor. And finally on top of all these, does love have anything to do with it? Does it matter or not if both people love each other fervently and have never met during their childhood lives thus making them by non-biological terms unrelated?
There's no proof that defects increase with so-called "inbreeding".

I'm really caught between First and second cousin, but I went with First. I don't really have the experience with cousins at any strength around my age to even really judge...my family had babies either too early or too late.

whats love got to do with it!? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQl_GflOT0U&feature=related)
whats love got to do with it?! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWIpx_bSiE)

Wow, that's really weird, I've got both versions playing at the same time... really, really freaky

:eek: You are right. This Close is too close. *toddles in reverse*

told you so

*chases after TPE*

If you share the same pair of grandparents, it's too close.

told you so

*chases after TPE*

Cugel held high the the pebble and cried out: "Away with you! I carry a sacred object and I do not care to be molested!"

There is a very small risk increase of genetic disorder when first cousins reproduce. This risk is greatly multiplied, however, if successive generations continue the practice. The effects stack up and result in marked increases in birth defects. Second cousins are only 25% as blood related as first cousins, so the added risk is almost nil. Fourth cousins are as blood related as any two random people in a genepool.

Dude, one of my cousins is hot. I'm not going to question my feelings here, and it feels right. I would do her.

Dude, one of my cousins is hot. I'm not going to question my feelings here, and it feels right. I would do her.

Then I'd definitely do her. :p

There's no proof that defects increase with so-called "inbreeding".

Break out the banjos!

There's no proof that defects increase with so-called "inbreeding".

Er... purebred dogs for example?

It makes sense.
Say there is a recessive defect that the relatives all have a form of. The more times these people interbreed, the more likely the defect will show up.

Er... purebred dogs for example?
Or just take a look at the state of the European royal households, who’ve been frakking each other since the Middle Ages.

The Haspburgs hereditary chin (http://www.kaisergruft.at/anhang/images/ferdi2.jpg), for example, was set so far forward that some family members couldn’t eat properly.

Break out the banjos!
*breaks out a banjo*
*lightsaber sounds*
Time to duel. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esl2NNOtHQE)
Or just take a look at the state of the European royal households, who’ve been frakking each other since the Middle Ages.

The Haspburgs hereditary chin (http://www.kaisergruft.at/anhang/images/ferdi2.jpg), for example, was set so far forward that some family members couldn’t eat properly.

Rofl. :p

Then I'd definitely do her. :p

manage a' trios?

manage a' trios?

Sure.

By which I mean I will use you as an unwitting pawn to get to your cousin and then cast you aside as a shell of the man you once were.

:eek:
Dangit! That was an internal monologue.. you heard/saw nothing!

There are too many aspects to this to allow a single answer. You'll have to differentiate between "legal aspect" and "comfy-zone aspect", and between "reproductive relationship" and "love relationship".

As for the legal aspect, I believe that the law/state have no business controlling love relationships between adult consenting people, but I do believe that because of the genetic risk, it should restrict reproduction between people where their biological relation to each other makes it too much of a risk (and I'm not knowledgeable enough in that matter to make that call myself, but I'll follow my country's legislation and say 1st cousins is okay, but no closer).

As for my comfy-zone aspect, I definitely think it's creepy when I hear about a parent-"child" (I assume we're always only talking consenting adults here) or sibling-sibling relationships, but I see no reason or justification to intervene unless you have evidence that it is in fact an abusive/non-consensual relationship after all.
The matter becomes a completely different one and the question to my mind obsolete when we're talking people who are related in the blood but never even knew / knew, but hadn't met before adult age, where the reproductive apsect is of course still valid, but I think there's no creepiness involved there.

I'm strictly against 1st and 2nd degree relationships, as well as relationships between descendants and ancestors. Cousins are 3rd degree, and while I'm uncomfortable with that, I'm not strictly against it.

Any degree of "closeness" is okay, as long as all the participants are consenting.

Genetic closeness isn't nearly as important as familial closeness. Long-lost siblings are okay. A 14th-cousin twice removed is not, if said cousin raised you.

Genetic closeness isn't nearly as important as familial closeness. Long-lost siblings are okay. A 14th-cousin twice removed is not, if said cousin raised you.

Siblings including the couple that recently discovered they were in fact twins, seperated at birth ?

I would say no closer than 3rd cousins, and it depends on whether you knew each other when you were growing up.

As with many in this thread, I only look at the genetic consequences of the relationship. I'm not hit by the 'yuk factor', so 1st cousins seems fine to me.

Siblings including the couple that recently discovered they were in fact twins, seperated at birth ?Yes, that would be fine.