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Originally Posted by adysav
Stating it as fact because 'most people believe it to be the case' is intellectually dishonest.
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How so?
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<i>So if most people believed homosexuality gave you brain tumours, you wouldn't be arguing for it, because it would require some effort to dispell people's assumptions?</i>
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What are you talking about?
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<i>I haven't said that, and that is definitely not my point, you have the wrong end of the stick.
I'm saying that the increased risk of defects is not an issue. It should not dictate whether a couple can marry or not.
You would not bar a regular couple who were equally at risk, and as someone already said, having children is not an essential component of getting married, and as such should not be taken into account.</i>
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Ah, I see, all of your talk about incest and defects is totally moot to the subject of homosexuality. Well, to give you my opinion about incest, I think that there are several reasons to abhor it. The increased chance of genetic disorders is part of it, but I do see it as more of a sociological problem. When people are unable or unwilling to leave the comfort of their own genetic lines that indicates a social deficiency. Incest is particularly disturbing in many cases because there seems to be one person who has a major power advantage over the other that is abusive. I think that anti-incest laws/taboos are meant to protect society from defective offspring and from developing a sort of inverted social system.
The nature of social contracts is that there is going to be a tension between minorities and the majority. I can't imagine there being many minorities much smaller than the incestuous portion of society. I have noticed that society has become more accepting of homosexuality and other "alternative" lifestyles and I have heard some speak of incest that it will be one of the next taboos to fall. I doubt it will soon, but I really don't know for the future. I think that there are lots of disadvantages to growing up to an incestuous couple, but there also are for lots of other people born into great disadvantage (like poverty). Ultimately, I don't think it should be my decision for who should and shouldn't get married or have kids. But - as I outlined in my hypothetical circumstances for how to ensure couples of incest don't have children (per your contraception clause) - I think people will have great difficulty giving up the structure that prevents incest from being acceptable and the possibility of incestuous couples having children.
I find it difficult to look at social issues as "right" or "wrong" but as what can be done legislatively about the situation given the social climate. I don't know if there's much that can be done for the social acceptance for incest, or if there should be much done for it. At least, personally, I won't champion it and I'm content with any anti-incest legislation on the books.