When Cousins Do More Than Kiss

摘要

Now that same-sex marriage increasingly is becoming acceptable in the U.S., might not incestuous marriage be next? Both have been condemned by legal sanctions and religious beliefs. However, since these are subject to change, what is to prevent first cousin marriage from gaining popularity?rnWhile visiting recently with a group of my Catholic in-laws, the subject of incest came up. Actually, no one used the term "incest" but, when my brother-in-law mentioned that he once dated his first cousin, others in the room clearly were shocked. After all, it says in the Bible that sex with close relatives, even some in-laws, is abhorrent to God. This reaction encouraged me to play anthropologist by pointing out that, in some societies, the most preferred marriages are between first cousins.