CONSANGUINITY THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS: Fr Jim Tucker

There is an interesting article in the Post today -- sort of a human-interest story that has an obvious connection to some of the bigger marriage issues being debated in society. If two people love each other deeply, are willing to commit to each other for life, then why shouldn't they be allowed to marry? And, one step further: Why should the government not give official recognition to their marriage?

In this case, the star-crossed lovers are first cousins and are forbidden to marry in their home state of Pennsylvania, so they crossed into Maryland where it's allowed. Chances for birth defects in children of first cousins are 6-8%, as opposed to 3-4% for unrelated couples, so the risk is slight. That's all moot in this case, since the couple has excluded children from their plans. But, still, I think it's safe to say that most of us are weirded out by the idea of marrying one's first cousin. To what extent should cultural taboos constrict the freedom of individuals to marry whom they choose, and to what extent should these taboos shape the law? ...

Let's do a thought experiment, though. Suppose a brother and sister -- separated, perhaps, at birth and raised in different households -- should fall in love and desire to marry? Suppose, for the sake of argument, that they are permanently infertile, so birth defects don't enter into the picture. Should the law prohibit this? Further, should the law be required to recognize their choice and issue civil documents to that effect? And now, for the sake of argument, suppose that they are fertile and wish to attempt to have children: Does the happiness of the couple take precedence over the potential consequences for any children conceived? And, of course, for all your answers, "Why?" The way one answers those questions will probably reveal a number of one's basic notions regarding marriage in society, and these notions ought to be considered also in the context of the same-sex marriage debate.

The brother-sister marriage thing isn't as far-fetched as it may sound. I had one such couple in my office about a month ago, so I've had a chance to think about how it all relates to these other questions.

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posted by Eve at 5:45 AM VOTE

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