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Bobby and Kathy are both 35 years old. They met in college and fell in love with each other. They married a year after college graduation. They absolutely adore each other and couldn't be happier. They plan to have children. As of now they have been married for 13 years.

One night, tragedy struck. Kathy got into a car accident due to a reckless driver. She survived many broken bones and massive blood loss. Unfortunately the hospital treating her did not have her blood type. Luckily her husband just so happened to be her blood type. The doctors quickly scanned his blood for any abnormalities and committed a transfusion.

Kathy would live and would recover in a few weeks. However, the doctor pulled aside Bobby for a serious talk. The doctors found something rather unusual about Bobby's blood. His DNA had similar genetic coding to that of his wife.

In short, Bobby was biologically related to his wife. He was her half-brother and she was his half-sister. Completely shocked by the news, Bobby and Kathy face a terrible moral dilemma. They truly love each other and despite the news their love for each other has not changed; however it has been shaken. To compound their problems, they found out that Kathy is two weeks pregnant. Should they continue to be husband and wife? Or should they divorce and try to live on without each other?

Why do you think?

I had this question for Philosophy class today. Our class got into a terrible debate (more like war). I wonder what people on this forum think?

Well first, by 'half' do you mean step-brother and sister?

Or do you mean they were both born or conceived by the same man or woman?

If they're just related legally, it's nothing.

It's a bit of a tricky situation really. I mean, the fact that they didn't know they had ANY connection leads me to believe that they had no integral part of family life or bonding together, so there's no REAL sense of family or incestual behaviour, besides that of the definition.

So I'm leaning slightly toward it being ok. Purely because they weren't in a family situation they were complete strangers to one another. Family would likely never have come out had it not been for the blood.

-AC

They are both conceived by the same father or mother.

(The worksheet didn't specify. Sorry)

They love each other, keep going.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Well first, by 'half' do you mean step-brother and sister?

Or do you mean they were both born or conceived by the same man or woman?

If they're just related legally, it's nothing.

It's a bit of a tricky situation really. I mean, the fact that they didn't know they had ANY connection leads me to believe that they had no integral part of family life or bonding together, so there's no REAL sense of family or incestual behaviour, besides that of the definition.

So I'm leaning slightly toward it being ok. Purely because they weren't in a family situation they were complete strangers to one another. Family would likely never have come out had it not been for the blood.

-AC

but if there is genetic evidence to prove a blood relation that identifies a common biological parent then it is incestual and more than that...can result in a higher risk of genetic mutation in the baby that is due

so for one...it could be illegal...2...is could be dangerous to the child and 3...it is not really socially acceptable behaviour

i'd say break it off....

Break up a 13 year marriage because although you both love each other you just found out your half bro and sis?

If it's socially acceptable to be gay....why wouldn't it be socially acceptable to commit incest?

uuuhh...because its not legal...and its physically genetically dangerous

sincs they didn't know about it, why to change anything
they love each other, they are together happy.
screw dna tests


and the only bad thing about it is that eventual children are more possible to inherit some genetic desise, but since she's already pregant, i see no point for breaking their life.

Originally posted by jaden101
uuuhh...because its not legal...and its physically genetically dangerous

but WHY isn't it illegal?

and how is it genetically dangerous?

If it was me I think I'd get divorced.

And I don't know if sleeping with your sister is illegal, but marrying your sister is.

coz most of genetics diseases is coused by recesive gens.
eg:
the cases of hemofilia in british royal family.

They could always get an abortion.

if they had no inkling beforehand i say let em be together, its hard enough to find someone to love in this world...

they commited no crime, they did not know about their connection...

let em be...

Technically they did commit a crime. They got married.

Hemophilia is a hereditary disease passed down from someone who already had the disease. If both people are free of genetic diseases...then there's really no reason to believe having sex with a family member who is clean is going to produce a disease ridden child.

In fact, incest has occurred for thousands of years in numerous civilizations because "royalty" or those considered to be "superior" to the normal population didn't believe in diluting their pure blood.

That's like saying you should never sleep with an African because you'll either get AIDS or Cicle-Cell Anemia.

Originally posted by jaden101
but if there is genetic evidence to prove a blood relation that identifies a common biological parent then it is incestual and more than that...can result in a higher risk of genetic mutation in the baby that is due

so for one...it could be illegal...2...is could be dangerous to the child and 3...it is not really socially acceptable behaviour

i'd say break it off....

Well first off lets rule out the genetic mutation side because they didn't know they were related when they had sex.

Secondly, incestual or not, it's hardly as bad as brother/sister, father/daughter incest. It's two people related by one parent who had NO clue they were even related to each other upon meeting.

-AC

Omg. This is really sad!
To discover that the person you love is your half bro or sis. As far as I'm concern they should not have kids, cause the children will get one of those non-treatable diasise and the love they had will trun to hell. But if the love is so strong they should stay together! If they want so much kids they can adopt one, or two.
But they should not separate, not AT ALL. As some one else said before me the fact that they didn't grow up together as bother and sister makes it easy.

If they love eachother then they should definitely stay together... screw the law.

Having kids is another matter which I know nothing about. But if a child coming from an incestuous relationship is dangerous, perhaps they should adopt...

Originally posted by Draco69
They could always get an abortion. abortion is wrong.Originally posted by Linkalicious
Hemophilia is a hereditary disease passed down from someone who already had the disease. If both people are free of genetic diseases...then there's really no reason to believe having sex with a family member who is clean is going to produce a disease ridden child.

In fact, incest has occurred for thousands of years in numerous civilizations because "royalty" or those considered to be "superior" to the normal population didn't believe in diluting their pure blood.

That's like saying you should never sleep with an African because you'll either get AIDS or Cicle-Cell Anemia. not what i meant.
i'm to lazy to explain to you a year long course of genetics..
but trust me on word that you can have an ill gen without having sympthoms of disease.
cos these are RECESIVE gens, and they're active only when they've come from BOTH parents.

example
a guy has an ill gen
and has too kids
and then the kids get married and have childer
it is possible that the granchild of the first guy has a disease which didn't show up in any of other ppl.

A cruel twist of fate, but if they can cope with it i say good luck to em

Originally posted by Linkalicious
Hemophilia is a hereditary disease passed down from someone who already had the disease. If both people are free of genetic diseases...then there's really no reason to believe having sex with a family member who is clean is going to produce a disease ridden child.

In fact, incest has occurred for thousands of years in numerous civilizations because "royalty" or those considered to be "superior" to the normal population didn't believe in diluting their pure blood.

That's like saying you should never sleep with an African because you'll either get AIDS or Cicle-Cell Anemia.

First of all, I'm pretty sure there are a number of European royal families whose lines have remained untainted by outside blood for generations and consequently have problems with hemophilia and other genetic diseases.

Second, a lot of genetic diseases are recessive genes (like hemophilia). Because of this, there is a higher likelihood of a disease manifesting itself in the child of two people who are directly related to each other.

If they are both 35 years old, how could they be half brother and sister?

Same dad, and their dad was a ladies man.

Are we assuming that there is such a thing as true love?

LOL.. were this true, I can see it making front page, media consuming news. Democrats want them to get a divorce and republicans want them to stay married(because marriage is sacred), state courts getting involved, protests, congress...it's very Schiavo. I'm sure most of their support would come from West Virginians...assuming they can read and their inbred birth defects haven't prevented them from hearing.

In my opinion, they should stay married if they can deal with the situation. And more importantly, never tell anyone about it. This really doesn't seem like a philisophical debate to me though. I know you said they continue to love one another, but I can't see love lasting this revelation. I mean, maybe it's my American mindset, but once I knew I was sleeping with my sister, the relationship would be too much for me. I guess I'm too realistic to think outside the box on this one. I mean, was one of them adopted? Do they not have any other family members that can tell them about their past?

It seems that people who are arguing that they should seperate are looking at it from the above point of view. From the standpoint that it is flat out wrong. But, so many years into this, its their descision. If they can accept the nature of their relationship, then they should stay together. And never breed! For god's sake, their kid could end up being the president or something.

Rather gross, but...

The Habsburgs are an unfortunate example of this.

I wish incest was legal, my cousin's totally hot.

Originally posted by BackFire
I wish incest was legal, my cousin's totally hot. mine to

I do believe they should get divorced, because their love could have come from some sub-concious knolege that they were related, and since they are related, its not like they have to stop loving one another.
I love my sister, but it doesn't mean that were getting married...

Originally posted by Tptmanno1
I do believe they should get divorced, because their love could have come from some sub-concious knolege that they were related, and since they are related, its not like they have to stop loving one another.
I love my sister, but it doesn't mean that were getting married... Well these two probably had sex a few times, Have you had sex with your sister?

Originally posted by Tptmanno1
I do believe they should get divorced, because their love could have come from some sub-concious knolege that they were related, and since they are related, its not like they have to stop loving one another.
I love my sister, but it doesn't mean that were getting married...


Eh, obviously that's not the type of love they have, their love is of a romantic nature, not that of brother and sister.

what Im saying is that if they didn't know that they were brother and sister, that could have been mistaken for romantic love.
but i guess it probably sould have to be case by case,
but if you want me to generalize, yes divorce.

The last few posts illustrate my point perfectly.

And it's the Hapsburgs...

they should stay together

life's a shaite, blood relatives should not mate together. So shaite happens by bye honey

Originally posted by Darth Revan
First of all, I'm pretty sure there are a number of European royal families whose lines have remained untainted by outside blood for generations and consequently have problems with hemophilia and other genetic diseases.

Second, a lot of genetic diseases are recessive genes (like hemophilia). Because of this, there is a higher likelihood of a disease manifesting itself in the child of two people who are directly related to each other. i'm sick of it. i said practicvally the same. but AS ALWAYS no one listens to me.

one question:
ARE you all assuming that i can NEVER be right?


bye.

inbreeding of humans leads to higher risks of genetic disorders in the offspring such as downs syndrome etc...this is why it is genetically problematic

True, perhaps. But then 3000 years of Egyptian royal history contained a number of cases of incest. Who is to say what is right or wrong? There are extreme mitigating circumstances here, there was no mens rhea, it was coincidental. They are in love, and have established lives, routines around each other for over a decade. It can be very hard for people to readjust by themselves. And as to children, if they have been together for 13 years, and they are both 35, I would be assuming that it is quiet possible they are a. unable to have children, or b. weren't planning on having them. But then sacrifices must be made for love.

Still, a tricky situation, but humankind are forever pushing back social taboos,.... I would say they shouldn't feel guilty, and that they should be allowed to be happy and together.

That is just plain strange.JM

Originally posted by Capt_Fantastic
The last few posts illustrate my point perfectly.

And it's the Hapsburgs...
I've seen it both ways.

Their business.

If they think they can deal with the emotional and psychological burden such as this, if they can bring the kid up and still be psychologically and emotionaly ok, then by all means, they should stay together.

yeah long live the rednecks

its not their fault they didn't no blame the parents

well now they know, so long live rednecks

Originally posted by BackFire
I wish incest was legal, my cousin's totally hot.

ROTFLAMO!!! Now how did I know you'd post something like this!?!? hysterical This is why I love ya BF.