Marrying cousins

[johnd]

One of the Patriarchs married his half sister.
Cousins, sure why not?

How's that sex therapy ministry going?

 

[johnd]

...we receive knowledge and true understanding.

The thing being overlooked is that the gene pool was much stronger in the days these thing were written in the Bible.

Adam and Eve were the strongest sources of human genes ever. Their children had to breed with sibblings. The gene pool was such that it could handle the replication of alike defects in the genes because there were so few defects.

Today there are far more defects in the pool that such close replication of them produces major defects in the body and mind of the offspring.

And the Law that forbad such close inbreeding came some 2000 years after Adam and Eve and some 500 years after Abraham and Sarah so there was no breaking of the Law by these.

Cousins?

ewwww

LOL

My father's side comes from lower West Virginia. I know something about the appalachian myth. It is not so true. Appearances can be deceiving. For example, I can generally tell who comes from Texas, Ohio, California, and back East by their appearance. Does that mean all in these areas inbreed? I think not.

 

[akascottb]

i read somewhere that cleopatra was the product of 7 generations of brother sister unions.

 

[ClaireZ]

i read somewhere that cleopatra was the product of 7 generations of brother sister unions.

I believe that is true. Egyptian royalty believed they were Gods, so they couldn't marry outside the family, because they would be marrying mortals.

 

[Mikhail]

I have personally known 2 couples who married their 1st cousins .
In both case they did not grow up knowing each other.
the 1st met after the woman came to Australia from South America and they fell in love, they were not christians. Caused a big rucus in teh family as they were catholics from memory.

The 2nd was one of My associate Pastors in a church I used to go too they got married before they became beleivers and due to family feuding, that is not ahveing anything to do with each other they only found out after thay had been going out for a while that they were cousins. They still decided to get Married anyway. The most loving & genuine pastors I have ever known in 19 years as a beleiver.

Personally I do not have an issue with it, though they do not speak of it much as some insensitive christians can make fun of them even one said after the wife shared at a ladies meeting about the challenges they faced, said on the next Sunday morning in passing hows your cous!
She was horrified as you can imagine.
I was furious when she told me still makes me angry to think about that.
Mikhail

 

[AmitGeorge]

My view of marriage is that you basically are looking for a person who is or will be your friend and that that person will complete you .... complete your inconsistencies and be the person who will be with you for your entire life .... This person who will share your sorrows, joys and give you comfort in times of dilemma ... Your family member ... cousin if you may.... is already there in this role.... he or she is available whether or not you marry the person....

We Christians believe that we are all born of the same parents... Adam and Eve... Therefore at some point or the other our ancestors have already been marrying there cousins and real siblings....

But I guess it is always a matter of personal choice....

 

[Mikhail]

My view of marriage is that you basically are looking for a person who is or will be your friend and that that person will complete you .... complete your inconsistencies and be the person who will be with you for your entire life .... This person who will share your sorrows, joys and give you comfort in times of dilemma ... Your family member ... cousin if you may.... is already there in this role.... he or she is available whether or not you marry the person....

We Christians believe that we are all born of the same parents... Adam and Eve... Therefore at some point or the other our ancestors have already been marrying there cousins and real siblings....

But I guess it is always a matter of personal choice....

Quite a common view, however thier is a distinct lack of Biblical basis for it.
Most views today have a basis in selfish motivation, ie what do I get out of a relationship. Psychologists call this co-dependancy. The scriptures talk of covenant, Men love your wives care for them. Women Respect your husbands. This classic scriptures talks of what each of us needs to give the other. Not what we should expect to receive.
Mikhail

 

[GypsyBella]

Hello. I am actually married to my first cousin. Before we got married, we did all the research that is humanly possible. It is not true that most states outlaw cousin marriage because of mental retardation. In fact most states allow it. A lot of the "ick factor" of cousin marriage in the US came from a mixture of incorrect research and the theory of evolution, making people think that marrying in the family would inhibit proper evolving. The ironic part is that Charles Darwin was married to his first cousin, and they had ten exceptionally intelligent children. Albert Einstein was also married to his cousin, as was US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The typical couple has a 3% chance of having a defective child. A cousin couple has about a 5% chance... not much of a difference. For those who want to be biblically sound, I share the following:

Each of the following individuals in scripture were in the lineage of Mary, Christ's mother, or Joseph, his "earthly" father, who were chosen by God to raise His son. Most, if not all, occurred (chronologically) after the time in which Levitican law was written.
*
Zelophehad's daughters did as the LORD commanded Moses. Zelophehad's daughters, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, married their cousins on their father's side.
(Numbers 36: 1-11)

Milcah, one of Zelophehad's daughters, was married to her cousin Nahor. They had a grand daughter named Rebekkah. In Genesis 24:48-51, the story unfolds of how, against all odds, God's direction for her to marry her cousin's son Isaac (first cousin once removed) is made crystal clear.

Isaac and Rebekkah had two son's. Jacob was the son whom was blessed to fulfill God's prophecy that the descendant's of Abraham (Jacob's grandfather, Isaac's father) would become a great nation. Isaac instructed Jacob to marry a daughter of Rebekkah's brother. Although he immediately fell in love and became engaged to his cousin Rachel, his uncle tricked him into first marrying Rachel's sister Leah. Although God blessed Jacob greatly, Jacob suffered much grief and heartache for having married both sisters. Jacob's descendants became what is now known as the twelve tribes of Israel. (Genesis chapters 19 and 29)

In I Chronicles 23:22, Eleazar's daughters married their first cousins. Very little detail is given of this event.

Sorry for the long post... it's a lot of info...

 

[kathokatho]

I think it is more important to worry about Christians yolking themselves to other Christians in marriage. I admit...cousins....ickey thought to me...but hey...you don't know my cousins....ha ha ha.

 

[cenimo]

Here's a link
http://www.wordoftruthradio.com/questions/37.html

Is it a sin to marry a cousin? The Bible does not specifically forbid it (see chart below), but it's important to remember that many laws do condemn this type of marriage and Christians are commanded to "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" (1 Peter 2:13-15, See also Romans 13:1-2).
​

What specific types of marriage does God forbid?
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Forbidden Marriages[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Scripture[/font][font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
[/font][font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Between parents and children[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:7-8[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Between stepparents and stepchildren[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:8, 17[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]With your paternal or maternal aunt[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:12-13[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]With your uncle or aunt[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:14[/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Between brother and sister and half-brother and half-sister[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:9
[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Between stepbrothers and stepsisters[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:11[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
With your daughter-in-law[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:15[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
With your sister-in-law[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:16[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
With your granddaughter[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:10[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
With your step-granddaughter[/font] [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] Leviticus 18:17[/font]
​

 

[Mikhail]

Hello. I am actually married to my first cousin. snip

Sorry for the long post... it's a lot of info...

Hi GypseyBella,
excellent post, I wish you God's richest blessings upong your marriage.
Mikhail

 

[johnd]

Hello. I am actually married to my first cousin. Before we got married, we did all the research that is humanly possible. It is not true that most states outlaw cousin marriage because of mental retardation. In fact most states allow it. A lot of the "ick factor" of cousin marriage in the US came from a mixture of incorrect research and the theory of evolution, making people think that marrying in the family would inhibit proper evolving.

Actually, my "ewwww" comment was from my cousins being real creepy.

LOL

I did have a crush on an older cousin when I was 9 or 10 which was back in miniskirt days and yes that's what first drew my attention to her in that way. Until then she was just an older sister to my best buddy-cousin Kenny the scourge of ******, West Virginia. Then it turned out she wasn't really my cousin after all.

My Uncle Tommy was dating her mother before it was generally known that she was pregnant with her by another man who punked out on her. Aunt Linda at the behest of her mother was trying to trap Tommy into marrying her... but she could not go through with it and came clean to him. He married her anyway and raised her daughter as his own. It was not until many years later that I found out about it and to this day I do not even know if she or Kenny knows.

Then there was a second cousin (about the same number of years older) for the same reason got my attention and interest. I was a little hooligan (now I'm a big one LOL).

But other than that the rest of my cousins are either creepy or were younger than me and they will always be the pig-tailed little girls (in my eyes) that I grew up with.

 

[johnd]

Hello. I am actually married to my first cousin. Before we got married, we did all the research that is humanly possible.

Each of the following individuals in scripture were in the lineage of Mary, Christ's mother, or Joseph, his "earthly" father, who were chosen by God to raise His son. Most, if not all, occurred (chronologically) after the time in which Levitican law was written.
*
Zelophehad's daughters did as the LORD commanded Moses. Zelophehad's daughters, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, married their cousins on their father's side.
(Numbers 36: 1-11)

While this was during the time of the Law, it was to preserve the family line / birth right / property inheritance which wold have otherwise been absorbed by the husband's family. Guess it was a catch 22 in the Law.

Milcah, one of Zelophehad's daughters, was married to her cousin Nahor. They had a grand daughter named Rebekkah. In Genesis 24:48-51, the story unfolds of how, against all odds, God's direction for her to marry her cousin's son Isaac (first cousin once removed) is made crystal clear.

Prior to the Law.

Isaac and Rebekkah had two son's. Jacob was the son whom was blessed to fulfill God's prophecy that the descendant's of Abraham (Jacob's grandfather, Isaac's father) would become a great nation. Isaac instructed Jacob to marry a daughter of Rebekkah's brother. Although he immediately fell in love and became engaged to his cousin Rachel, his uncle tricked him into first marrying Rachel's sister Leah. Although God blessed Jacob greatly, Jacob suffered much grief and heartache for having married both sisters. Jacob's descendants became what is now known as the twelve tribes of Israel. (Genesis chapters 19 and 29)

Also prior to the Law.

You will recall when Amnon raped his half sister Tamar that she said to him before the dastardly deed, "Ask our father for my hand, he will surely not deny you."

Now that may have simply been her trying to buy time to escape, or it may have been her ignorance of the Law or their father's response, or it may have been a biblical indication that extra-marital relations are worse than this type of marriage to a close relative (and how much worse is the act of rape itself! ). And even after David committed adultery and murder of Bathesheba's husband, he married her and God did not have it annulled.

Again, I am not trying to condemn nor discourage you and your marriage. I am just clearing up a couple things about the Bible.

 

[GypsyBella]

Now that may have simply been her trying to buy time to escape, or it may have been her ignorance of the Law or their father's response, or it may have been a biblical indication that extra-marital relations are worse than this type of marriage to a close relative (and how much worse is the act of rape itself! ).

QUOTE]

Not to be rude, because this is a good post, but what does this have to do with cousins marrying? Levitical law condemns brother/sister marriage as incest... not cousins.

 

[Misty Minister]

How's that sex therapy ministry going?

I thought George Burns was great in "18 Again".

 

[berb]

...we receive knowledge and true understanding.

The thing being overlooked is that the gene pool was much stronger in the days these thing were written in the Bible.

Adam and Eve were the strongest sources of human genes ever. Their children had to breed with sibblings. The gene pool was such that it could handle the replication of alike defects in the genes because there were so few defects.

Today there are far more defects in the pool that such close replication of them produces major defects in the body and mind of the offspring.

And the Law that forbad such close inbreeding came some 2000 years after Adam and Eve and some 500 years after Abraham and Sarah so there was no breaking of the Law by these.

True. There was nothing wrong back then because the gene pool wasn't as tainted as it is now. It is not a myth that being too closely related will produce deformed children. The closer your blood relation the more likely you are to have children with genetic defects. I'm not condemning marrying your cousin, go ahead if you like. Here's something you might find intersting:

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c004.html