I'm going to butt into the threadjack, in the sincere hope that I can make a small derail back onto the question discussed in the OP, and not the ensuing asshollery. (Of which, while I disagree with willravel on the OP, I back him on
most his self-defense)
Quote:
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Originally Posted by willravel
I, personally, think the taboo goes far beyond procreation. This is a close family member. This is like a half brother or sister. The cultural taboo that I have always understood is that there are very different rules when it comes to family (outside of obvious biological reasons). Dating a sibling, uncle/aunt, cousin, child, or parent is quite unacceptable (and quite disgusting). Mind you I don't think this is me being prudish. I have no problem with two men having relations. I have no problem with people of much different ages having relations. I have no problem with S&M or other kinky type stuff. This is different.
As stated before: I see this as being similar to dating a half sibling (one parent shared). It's wrong.
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Really, it's the wrongness you attribute to it that I take opposition to. I haven't a cousin that I would consider having sex with, but I don't feel that it would inherently
wrong for me to do so. If I got a 'yucky' feeling about it, it'd be because I can't find a man attractive unless he is brutally so, and they're all either pasty, unwashed, nintendo fanboys (not my thing) or under 5 (very much not my thing).
There're many cultures that allow marriages and unions between first cousins. I know for a fact that among the Yanomama in South America, marriage and sexual unions between cross cousins (children of either the maternal uncle or the paternal aunt. Other cousins are treated as brothers or sisters, and thus amount to sibling incest.) is the most preferred form of marriage.
The idea of
wrong feels centered in a moral/ethnocentric doctrine for me, be it religious or no. Thus, I feel this isn't an issue over which a blanket statement, such as the one you're providing, can be placed. To state that another culture allows a thing to happen does not mean that it cannot be wrong. People allow things they consider to be wrong just happen all the time.
Were this the case at hand, I would be less likely to attack your position on the wrongness of union between two cousins. However, among at least the one culture marriage between cousins is the preferred form of marriage... and thus your statement seems to come as an ethnocentric attack on other culture, namely those who either/both accept marriage and unions between cousins to be either openly acceptable (not immoral, and thus perfectly acceptable) or the preferred means of living.