Incest

coffee4u said:

Adam and Eve. You get 50% of your genes from each parent.

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Technically correct, except that all Eve's genes came from Adam!

RDKirk said:

Apparently "nature" does not, because in every other species mating occurs between siblings and parents without hesitation.

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But inbreeding in animals, typically with pedigree breeds, has been shown to greatly increase health problems.

This example from a quick google search.-
Inbreeding (also referred to as line breeding) means mating animals that have one or more relatives in common, for example, mating a grandfather dog to his own granddaughter. Inbreeding is deliberately and routinely practiced as part of pedigree dog breeding usually in an attempt to breed for a particular ‘look’. However, it is scientifically proven and well recognised that inbreeding increases the incidence of inherited diseases such as inherited blindness, blood disorders, and metabolic problems.

Our DNA could handle it for a while when the world was in need of population. Can cause birth defects now, probably not back then? (All part of Gods plan).

M-Bob

1

Lilly54 said:

I am reading my way through the Old Testament but finding the many cases of incest really very disturbing. Why on earth was it so prevalent?
We naturally feel horror at the very thought of such relationships between close family, even more distant family. Every culture abhors and bans it, rightly. The greatest taboo.
So why on earth did such significant figures in the Bible do it? They specifically looked for close relations for marriage with their children. I do find it very off putting!

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During that time. It was common in every country that people married their cousins. I guess back then it was to keep the bloodline strong.

Francis Drake said:

But inbreeding in animals, typically with pedigree breeds, has been shown to greatly increase health problems.

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My point is that their "nature" does not repel animals from incest, so "nature" is a poor argument for a "natural" repulsion.

There is no "natural" repulsion...hence, there must be a law.

Leviticus 18:6-18 World English Bible (WEB)

6 “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh.
7 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
8 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.
9 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.
10 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness; for theirs is your own nakedness.
11 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.
12 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s near kinswoman.
13 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s near kinswoman.
14 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.
15 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
16 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.
17 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near kinswomen. It is wickedness.
18 “‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.

Lilly54 said:

I am reading my way through the Old Testament but finding the many cases of incest really very disturbing. Why on earth was it so prevalent?
We naturally feel horror at the very thought of such relationships between close family, even more distant family. Every culture abhors and bans it, rightly. The greatest taboo.
So why on earth did such significant figures in the Bible do it? They specifically looked for close relations for marriage with their children. I do find it very off putting!

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At the beginning of the world, God commanded that man populate the earth and this was how. In the Middle Ages, inheritance meant political power so dynasties had unique sanction for marriage of cousins.

Francis Drake said:

Technically correct, except that all Eve's genes came from Adam!

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I see where you are coming from but I don't agree. Yes, she was made from Adam's rib, but I see that as being a picture of marriage to us more than anything else. Right from the start, God made sure Adam knew that Eve was his helpmate not his slave.

You know the old saying, “Women were created from the rib of man to be beside him, not from his head to top him, nor from his feet to be trampled by him, but from under his arm to be protected by him, near to his heart to be loved by him.”
― Matthew Henry.

Adam was made from the clay and this did not affect the genes he ended up with so I don't see that Eve being made from his rib had to mean she carried the same exact genes that he did. I think they would have each had their own unique set of genes. Whether this was because God made her with her own unique set or whther God split the genes giving Eve half and leaving Adam with half. Either way, I believe both had their own unique set of genes to pass onto their children after creation was finished.

If her genes were identical to his what was the point of her offering 50%? In that case, the father could do all the gene passing alone. This is how they use to think, that the child came entirely from the man while the woman merely incubated the child he gave her. As a woman I object to that.

Lilly54 said:

I am reading my way through the Old Testament but finding the many cases of incest really very disturbing. Why on earth was it so prevalent?
We naturally feel horror at the very thought of such relationships between close family, even more distant family. Every culture abhors and bans it, rightly. The greatest taboo.
So why on earth did such significant figures in the Bible do it? They specifically looked for close relations for marriage with their children. I do find it very off putting!

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Hi Lilly54
It was offputting for me too, but since we are so far removed from the Old Testament times and culture, it is often difficult for us to understand some of the practices of the people in the ancient biblical text.... even some cultures from this day and age can be offputting... but cultures are used to keep law and order when there is none..

Archaeologist have discovered what is known as The Nuzi tablets , Hummarabi code... this possibly sheds light on some of the customs... for example if a woman is both sister and wife, she may have a greater legal status... family gods represents the title deed of the land..why Rachel stole the family gods, and why laban followed after..the blessing of the father is binding...etc...

By comparing the similarities of the customs of the archaeological finding with the patriarchal customs, i can better understand and appreciate the latter much more. I can place them within a functioning environment with laws and customs that had to be upheld. Andn understand the tension experienced, when the societal norms went contrary to the Word of God and can appreciate the courage it took to go against this. It kind of encourages us to do the same within our own societies knowing that Gods Word takes preference. At the expense of our own comfort and limited understanding. A great resource is biblical times by RK. Harrison.

coffee4u said:

Adam was made from the clay and this did not affect the genes he ended up with so I don't see that Eve being made from his rib had to mean she carried the same exact genes that he did. I think they would have each had their own unique set of genes. Whether this was because God made her with her own unique set or whther God split the genes giving Eve half and leaving Adam with half. Either way, I believe both had their own unique set of genes to pass onto their children after creation was finished.

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I agree they had their own unique set of genes, but I still believe her allotment of genes came directly from Adam.
Adam was made completely from the soil, with no added extras, (apart from breath.)
I believe Eve was made completely from Adam, with no added extras. That would indicate that Adam was diminished to some degree, including a division of his genes.
On a completely separate topic, given that there is no record of God breathing into Eve, I believe that his spirit was also divided in two.

Lilly54 said:

Ok. But oh yuk! Is it not naturally repulsive? Does not nature demand very different genes for healthy strong offspring? Maybe it's just me but it is just a no no, anyone even remotely connected by blood.

Was Abraham married to Sarah his half sister?

What about Lot and his daughters? Wow!

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It is so because God disallows Abraham and early Jews to marry the Canaanites as Canaanites are firm believers of false gods and they practice children sacrifice.

Early marriage of the Jews is similar to the early marriage of humans such as Adam. It's for leaving descendants only. It's nothing out of any personal or sexual desire. At the same time, it requires God's blessing at the genetic level.

Lilly54 said:

Ok. But oh yuk! Is it not naturally repulsive? Does not nature demand very different genes for healthy strong offspring? Maybe it's just me but it is just a no no, anyone even remotely connected by blood.

Was Abraham married to Sarah his half sister?

What about Lot and his daughters? Wow!

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The Bible just tells what happened. Just because it's biblical history doesn't mean it's right. A guy in the Bible let his concubine be gang raped, until she died, then cut her into pieces. Never did see that flannel graph in Sunday School! But it's in the Bible.

The Bible shows the sins of people as well. No one said the passage was good or right. Did God have anything to do with that horrific sin? No. That was entirely that mans depraved choice and free will. Nowhere in there does God bless it, in any way, shape or form. That man would have received judgement for what he did.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived.”
Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

In contrast, Adam and Eve were blessed as were Abraham and Sarah.
genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Genesis 17
4-5 I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That’s why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham. 6 I will give you a lot of descendants, and in the future they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.
21 But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.

Well, I believe that God didn't create rules for a sense of some ambiguous force called "good". I think what is good is what is healthy, and since God made everything and knows how everything is meant to work, he knows the best possible way to go about things. That said, incest is not forbidden for some ambiguous evil, but solely because it causes genetic issues with offspring and fosters an unhealthy thought pattern. In a world where people hate others for their differences, sex is the one thing that brings together otherwise unrelated people and keeps families from becoming exclusive groups the way nations and countries have. We had enough problems with the Hatfields and the McCoys, thank you. God made sex so that you aren't supposed to be able to keep to your family, but have to go out and interact with other people other than your close family to get it, thus ensuring that, whatever other flaws we may have, we at least would try and interact with other humans for mating purposes, if nothing else. It provides an incentive to understand someone who wasn't raised the same way you were.