General Questions Thread

[SaintessHeart]

Question : Why in certain Asian cultures, incest is legal, while in others, it isn't? And which ones are those that allow legal incest? I know the Chinese are half-half on that.

[Sir Maddy]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Question : Why in certain Asian cultures, incest is legal, while in others, it isn't? And which ones are those that allow legal incest? I know the Chinese are half-half on that.

Consensual incest between brother and sister is frowned on, but not prohibited in France.
It has been legal there since the time of Napoleon, but still you can't marry your sister.
It is similar in Japan, legal between consenting adults but not legal for incestuous marriages, in Japan, the Civil Code of Japan restricts marriages of its members, but incest is not a crime The incest law was abolished there in 1881 and they also can have children.
Sweden is the only country in Europe which allows marriage between siblings who share one parent.
They have recently been silently dropping anti-incest laws in other countries too. It is still technically illegal in lots of countries, but police in most countries will now turn a blind eye to it unless someone makes a complaint.
Most police will leave happy couples alone these days.

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Question : Why in certain Asian cultures, incest is legal, while in others, it isn't? And which ones are those that allow legal incest? I know the Chinese are half-half on that.

Is it incest if it's between cousins ?

[Daniel E.]

19 posts have been removed.

[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Question : Why in certain Asian cultures, incest is legal, while in others, it isn't? And which ones are those that allow legal incest? I know the Chinese are half-half on that.

That's because the definition of "incest" varies. There are those with strict laws such as ROK, which dictates that marriages to relatives up to eighth cousins and people with same last names of the same region (for example, Geongju Kim) are considered incest and thus would actually be a crime.

[Sir Maddy]

Originally Posted by Aegir

Is it incest if it's between cousins ?

Incest is when 2 people from the same family share feelings for each other, and since cousins are part of families. So yes, it is incest.

[Sumeragi]

Again, a relative is relative. Those of the same family name? Those of the clan? Those of the entire nation>

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Aegir

Is it incest if it's between cousins ?

"incest" is a legal term with no real scientific meaning outside of perhaps actual siblings (brother and sister with the same parents) engaging in it.

Some countries/states/provinces/prefectures ban first cousin relations (but not second, etc). Some allow first cousin relations. Over half the states in the United States permit first cousin marriage. Most of the rest of the world has no problem with it. In rural areas, it is actually hard to find someone to marry you aren't related to (which is why the taboo sprang up. City folks would make fun of immigrant country folk -- "kissing cousins").

Genetically, there's about a 1% higher risk of problems with first cousins, a risk totally swamped out by risks from the environment, smoking, drinking, diet, drugs, other genetics, etc.

[Ridwan]

That question wasn't serious. I was just trying to draw out some SaintessHeart-ish reactions

Definitely that definition of incest is relative out side of direct biological relatives (which even then is sometimes depends on the culture, or whether they even care). I live in a multi-ethnic country with lots of cousin marriage traditions or at least customs that allow for some or all kinds of cousin relationships. Some would outlaw first-cousins marriage. Another would only care about your patrilineal lastnames. For another one, arranged marriage between cousins is an old proud tradition and preferable, at least among elites.

Trend of defaming cousin x cousin relationship with incest label is a modern phenomenon, likely originated in Yankee attitudes towards the Dixie culture (cousin marriage being not uncommon in American South, from what I've heard). That also explains why people from outside US tend not to encounter the said attitude outside of internet.

[Sumeragi]

You forgot to mention Korea.

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

You forgot to mention Korea.

Internet population is being dominated by western countries, among which the US has the biggest share, and being the only one among them with bans on cousin marriage.

Though after some googlings after you mentioned this, I found myself to have overestimated the global laxness on the matter. Though not by much :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Co...riageWorld.svg

[GenjiChan]

In the Philippines, incest is forbidden up to the 1st cousins... But I think though some allow 2nd cousins to marry... its still considered by many ethnic/tribes as taboo.

[Sir Maddy]

All this talk about incest makes me wonder how weird it would be to marry someone from the same family let alone have feelings for them.

[Ridwan]

Originally Posted by Sir Maddy

All this talk about incest makes me wonder how weird it would be to marry someone from the same family let alone have feelings for them.

Personally for me, doing it would be a suicide. But I'm basically fine with the idea. I get weary though when it runs by multiple consecutive times within a single lineage, especially since such thing almost always turns out to be a tradition of arranged marriage.

[Akito Kinomoto]

If the main setting of a show is a beach would it still count as a beach episode?

[Paranoid Android]

I've never worn glasses up until now and never needed them. Just today, I can't read anything on my computer monitor at full arm's distance away from the screen. Is this gonna go away or did my vision just suddenly die in a single night? @__@

I feel so dizzy from looking at anything.

[Azuma Denton]

Originally Posted by Paranoid Android

I've never worn glasses up until now and never needed them. Just today, I can't read anything on my computer monitor at full arm's distance away from the screen. Is this gonna go away or did my vision just suddenly die in a single night? @__@

I feel so dizzy from looking at anything.

Maybe your eyes is just tired...

Here are some things i do when my eyes feels tired from looking from monitor and makes me dizzy...
- Put some eye drops
- Get away from your computer and see other things (my favourite thing is gree scenery, but some pantsu shot or cleavage helps too... )
- Sleep

[Konakaga]

Originally Posted by Akito Kinomoto

If the main setting of a show is a beach would it still count as a beach episode?

I'd say it depends how much focus is put on the swimsuits and the beach and how many beach cliches are used .

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by Paranoid Android

I've never worn glasses up until now and never needed them. Just today, I can't read anything on my computer monitor at full arm's distance away from the screen. Is this gonna go away or did my vision just suddenly die in a single night? @__@

I feel so dizzy from looking at anything.

Take a look at this short article regarding vision and working with a computer.

Computer Vision Syndrome

Also, even though the article doesn't really talk about it, the screen of a computer is a flat object. Our eyes weren't really meant to stare at flat objects for hours on end.

I don't think it's going to go away, especially since you work with a computer. You should probably go visit an eye doctor.

Endless "Glasses" Soul

[Paranoid Android]

Wahhhh, I'm gonna quit my life and live in the woods now >: (

I'm gonna call off work today, I'm so dizzy from seeing anything @___@