Incest, a Taboo ?

The notion that siblings or close relatives can have sexual relations is considered a grave sin or crime, even in the most liberal societies. The French Polynesian Marquesas, for instance, permitted pedophilia prior to Western influence, but outlawed incest.

Incest, from a Biological Point of View

From a biological point of view, incest is probably an act which invariably would lead to inbreeding.

The offspring of two parents with very close biological lineage tend to have obvious genetic flaws: In the case of the crater lions in Nogorongoro Crater, a 2,000-foot-deep caldera with a hundred square mile floor located at the eastern edge of Tanzania's Serengeti Plain, generations of inbreeding amongst lions have resulted in the weakening of the offspring, hence rendering them susceptible to diseases that other lions would most likely have survived.

Cheetahs too, have a very small gene pool, due to hunting activities and the gradual shrinkage of their original habitats due to the encroachment of human activities, hence they, too, are susceptible to potentially fatal diseases.

In short, inbreeding goes the grain of biological diversification.

Incest: An Act of Contempt Against God

Surprisingly, religion has numerous stories of incest emanating from its very annals.

In Greek mythology, Zeus and Hera are siblings, yet they share a husband-and-wife relationship. They were the children of Cronus and Rhea (also married siblings) and, according to some sources, grandchildren of Uranus and Gaia (a son who took his mother as consort, in some sources as brother and sister, first people on Earth). Cronus and Rhea's siblings, the other Titans, were also all married brothers and sisters. Poseidon also managed to produce a child by Gaia: Antaeus.

Incest, from a Secular Point of View

In most secular nations, incest is prohibited, particularly nations with a more conservative mindset.

The idea of incest being a criminal activity rests on the assumption that incest breeds sexual abuse, especially those pertaining to parent to child relationships.

New York laws dictate that close-blood-relation incest is a felony with a maximum penalty of four years in prison, while the less serious charge is usually only a misdemeanor. In Australia, incest is punishable by a maximum of 25 years imprisonment, if sexual activities occur, even if that child is over 18, and 5 years for the less serious charge of sexual penetration of a sibling or half-sibling.

Incest: Unnatural Sexual Behavior?

Incest is a highly controversial issue, given the scope and rarity of the issue. Society definitely frowns upon it, but even then, one has to wonder, if mutually consensual sex, regardless the circumstances, ought to be turned into a legal and cultural issue.