Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Just when you thought the world could not get any more degraded and perverse, the European Court of Human rights--believe it or not!--proves you wrong. Germany's ban on incest has been upheld:
A brother and sister from Germany who had an incestuous relationship, arguing they had the right to a family life, have lost their European court case.
Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski had four children together, two of whom are described as disabled.
The European Court of Human Rights said Germany was entitled to ban incest.
I suppose it's bad news that this could be news at all, but today is glass-half-full day.
I'll spare you the photo of the couple on the grounds that the very idea of this is so disgusting as to inherently violate the spirit of the Code of Conduct. Click on the link at your own discretion.
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Comments:
Jan '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Incest is declared illegal ... OK! Gotta start somewhere.
Edited on April 18, 2012 at 2:47pmDec '10
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
It's really amazing how much secular morality is based on our cultural prejudices. What do you think of:
The age of consent in Germany being 14,
The age of consent in Alabama being 16?
Polygamists in Utah,
Polygamists in Greenwich Village?
Edited on April 18, 2012 at 4:28pmRe: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Actually, the incest taboo is universal. You'll occasionally find some batcake anthropologist who's convinced he's found an exception on some Polynesian island or something, but the only principle more universal than the incest taboo is the principle that anthropologists go nuts after too many years in the field.
Oct '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Most people have an involuntary revulsion to the idea of incest, don't they? I know I do. I threw up a little in my mouth just now.
Nov '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
This sounds awfully familiar:
Why stop two consenting adults from being with their soulmate, you puritans?
Commence with the 500 comments of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
May '10
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Two posts from Claire this morning... searching for good news she gives us the prostrate and incest... my, my Miss Berlinski... Where is your mind today?
Mar '12
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Actually, the incest taboo is universal. You'll occasionally find some batcake anthropologist who's convinced he's found an exception on some Polynesian island or something, but the only principle more universal than the incest taboo is the principle that anthropologists go nuts after too many years in the field. · 22 minutes ago
It also appears very, very early in life without trying to create it. Unrelated children raised collectively on Israeli kibbutzim were unable to consider each other as potential partners when they were adults. They had to leave the kibbutz to find marriage partners. This couple never imprinted on each other as siblings because they were raised apart, which is the only reason they could stomach the relationship.
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
On curing cancer and the small, shy hope afforded by a European court affirming the most ancient of values. Where is yours?
Apr '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Yes, good news and all...but with the basis of the ruling being that incest gives you higher likely hood of disabled children as the reason seems a bit weak and eugenic to me. As the lawyers for the defense pointed out incest is not the sole way to increase those odds...
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
I suppose they couldn't just say, "Yuck!"
May '10
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
The wife usually doesn't let me have it until noon ET after my second cup of coffee... But I'm always perusing the posts for photoshop opportunities (like here and here) and you're simply not giving a poor guy anything to work with!
Apr '12
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Are not the arguments used to normalize homosexuality the same arguments to normalize incest? OK, so reproduction is a variance - what about a couple that are sterile? What about homosexual sibs? Why should they be prevented from the benefits of marriage?
Apr '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
I suppose they couldn't just say, "Yuck!" · 6 minutes ago
Yuck is a stronger argument in my opinion if you can explain why you feel "Yuck".
You can indeed use the same arguments, for the most part. I don't think that need invalidate anything. The prohibition against incest extends well beyond marriage. We generally prohibit the act as well. This was true for homosexuality once too...but I think it foolish to lump all similar things into one group. Incest is different than homosexulaity.
Mar '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Bingo!
Mar '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Valiuth
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Incest is different than homosexulaity. · 6 minutes ago
Your argument would be stronger if you would explain why you feel this way.
Apr '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Incest...it's all relative.
Apr '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
May I suggest a portmanteau: photoshopportunities.
Apr '11
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Actually, the incest taboo is universal. You'll occasionally find some batcake anthropologist who's convinced he's found an exception on some Polynesian island or something, but the only principle more universal than the incest taboo is the principle that anthropologists go nuts after too many years in the field. ·
Sibling incest is a pretty strong taboo. Cousin incest is where most of the civil rights action is in the US at the moment. Nepotistic incest is either disgusting or normal, depending on where you are. It's like saying that the prohibition against pedophilia is universal; this is kind of true, but only if you limit pedophilia to sex with the under nines.
Even if "yuck" was a universal response, though, do you think that it should be sufficient to criminalize acts between consenting adults?
Also, in Germany, you can get 3 years jail time; how did they get to four kids?
May '10
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
Charlotte! I see a registered trademark in your future!
Oct '10
Re: Good News Only Day: Incest is Still Illegal in Germany
It's not the same at all. Incest is incest, whether it's heterosexual or homosexual couples. There's no moral link between homosexuality and incest.