Are cousins allowed to get married?

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dwight92070
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by dwight92070 » Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:12 pm

Although I don't see any prohibition against it either, I think civil laws should not be totally ignored. Yes, sometimes they may be wrong, but other times the civil law against something can be a warning. I'm sure you know that many states still have a law against adultery, and we know that that is definitely a sin.

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Paidion
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by Paidion » Wed Nov 24, 2021 10:50 am

Yes, I know there are U.S. laws against marrying cousins.
But there is no such law in Canada where I live.
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dwight92070
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by dwight92070 » Thu Nov 25, 2021 1:12 am

Upon further study, I think I'm changing my mind on this. I'm thinking the scripture DOES prohibit first cousins from marrying. Leviticus 18:6 says: "None of you shall approach any BLOOD RELATIVE of his to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord."

Looking up "blood relative", we find the following: A blood relative is a person who is related by birth, rather than marriage, including those of half-blood. A blood relative includes a parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, FIRST COUSIN, or any of the aforementioned prefixed by a "grand", "great-grand", or "great-great-grand". So I think we could rightfully put in the word "cousin" in Leviticus 18:6, in the place of "blood relative", and it would read as follows: "None of you shall approach any (first cousin) of his to uncover nakedness."

The scripture appears to add one more prohibition: It prohibits marrying in-laws. So even though in-laws are not our blood relatives, we are prohibited from marrying them.

So even though the case of first cousins being prohibited from marrying each other is not specifically mentioned in the scripture, it appears to fall under the category of a prohibition of blood relatives marrying each other.

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Paidion
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by Paidion » Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:10 pm

Dwight wrote:Upon further study, I think I'm changing my mind on this. I'm thinking the scripture DOES prohibit first cousins from marrying. Leviticus 18:6 says: "None of you shall approach any BLOOD RELATIVE of his to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord.
"

All translations I have consulted, except one (23 of them) have "near of kin". Only one has "blood relative (NAS95).
What is more, the passage goes on in the next 11 verses to spell out to which relatives it applies. None of them mention one's cousin (or the child of one's father's sister or brother—or the child of one's mother's sister or brother).
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Homer
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by Homer » Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:45 pm

Hi Paidion,

Seems to me, reading from 18:6-20 that there is a blanket prohibition of marriage to any blood relative ("flesh relative") in verse 6. Reading further to verse 20, there are clearly some the prohibition is applied to who are relatives only by marriage, not flesh. If "blood relative" is not a correct translation and "near of kin" is the we have ambiguity. A first cousin seems to be near kin to me. How would you define it?

Since the Law of Moses is not applicable, to my mind, to Christians, what do we find regarding the question in the New Covenant?

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dwight92070
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by dwight92070 » Fri Nov 26, 2021 12:49 am

Homer wrote:
Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:45 pm
Hi Paidion,

Seems to me, reading from 18:6-20 that there is a blanket prohibition of marriage to any blood relative ("flesh relative") in verse 6.

Dwight - Then we could not marry anyone, because we're all, technically, blood relatives of Adam and Eve, and Noah and his wife. So I think the principle that is implied here is to not marry a relatively CLOSE relative. So the Lord had to draw the line somewhere, so he chose to draw it between first cousins and relatives that are more distant. So it appears to me that it would be okay to marry second cousins. First cousins share grandparents. Second cousins share great-grandparents, and so on.

Reading further to verse 20, there are clearly some the prohibition is applied to who are relatives only by marriage, not flesh.

Dwight - Yes, and I think "in-laws" covers those relationships.
If "blood relative" is not a correct translation and "near of kin" is the we have ambiguity. A first cousin seems to be near kin to me. How would you define it?

Since the Law of Moses is not applicable, to my mind, to Christians, what do we find regarding the question in the New Covenant?

Dwight - I disagree that the Law of Moses is not applicable. Yes, we don't live under the Law of Moses, but God's wisdom is revealed there, and His wisdom is never not applicable. Paul quoted from that Law in the New Testament several times(Romans 10:19; Romans 11:8; Romans 15:10);to reveal and promote God's wisdom. So did other New Testament writers (1Peter 2:9; James 2:23; James 2:8). For other examples, God's wisdom is in the Law regarding tattoos, astrology, witchcraft, food, sex, marriage, and it goes on.

Dwight - So, in the New Covenant, we find examples of authors, who are willing to promote the wisdom of God found in the Old Testament, in addition to the message of the gospel.

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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by paulespino » Fri Nov 26, 2021 9:31 am

Hi Dwight, you said:

"Looking up "blood relative", we find the following: A blood relative is a person who is related by birth, rather than marriage, including those of half-blood. A blood relative includes a parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, FIRST COUSIN, or any of the aforementioned prefixed by a "grand", "great-grand", or "great-great-grand". So I think we could rightfully put in the word "cousin" in Leviticus 18:6, in the place of "blood relative", and it would read as follows: "None of you shall approach any (first cousin) of his to uncover nakedness.""

But in lev 20:17-21 it specified who are the close relatives that are prohibited to marry and cousins are not included among the close relatives that are prohibited to marry.

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dwight92070
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by dwight92070 » Fri Nov 26, 2021 3:52 pm

Paidion wrote:
Thu Nov 25, 2021 9:10 pm
Dwight wrote:Upon further study, I think I'm changing my mind on this. I'm thinking the scripture DOES prohibit first cousins from marrying. Leviticus 18:6 says: "None of you shall approach any BLOOD RELATIVE of his to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord.
"

All translations I have consulted, except one (23 of them) have "near of kin". Only one has "blood relative (NAS95).

Dwight - Paidion, I gave you over 30 translations that conflicted with you on another topic. Your reply? It doesn't matter how many translators translate it wrong. So you thought you were STILL right and ALL the thirty-some translators were wrong. Now the shoe is on the other foot. Obviously, you're not being consistent.

What is more, the passage goes on in the next 11 verses to spell out to which relatives it applies. None of them mention one's cousin (or the child of one's father's sister or brother—or the child of one's mother's sister or brother).

Dwight - Also, I see the "near of kin" translation too. Could it be that "near of kin" and "blood relative" are the same? Granted, it could be that they are different.

Dwight - Another source for the meaning of "blood relative" says: a person's biologically related parent, grandparent, child, grand child, sibling, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, OR FIRST COUSIN.

Dwight - If someone is really concerned about doing the right thing, in considering marriage to a first cousin, wouldn't they simply call off the relationship? Especially if there is any uncertainty about what is pleasing to God and what isn't. Or does a person go ahead anyway, and then live with a conscience that continually is asking: Did I do the wrong thing? After all, which is more important -falling in love with someone and marrying them, not really knowing whether it is right or wrong, or having a clear conscience before God?

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Paidion
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by Paidion » Fri Nov 26, 2021 4:35 pm

Paul, don't be concerned about my conflict with Dwight on this topic. As far as I know, there is NO issue upon which we agree.

However, i assure you, Paul, that there is nothing in the Bible that forbids marriage between cousins.
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Man judges a person by his past deeds, and administers penalties for his wrongdoing. God judges a person by his present character, and disciplines him that he may become righteous.

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dwight92070
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Re: Are cousins allowed to get married?

Post by dwight92070 » Fri Nov 26, 2021 9:27 pm

You have also assured us that there is no trinity and that Jesus is not God, in which I and multiplied millions of Christians disagree with you.

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