Question:
Will you kindly tell me if there is any Bible against first cousins’ marrying and where it may be found?
Answer:
The degrees of consanguinity forbidden by the Scripture are named in Leviticus 18:6-18; 20:12, 14, 57, 19-21. First cousins are not forbidden to marry. However, one great objection to in-marrying, that is, the marrying of blood relations, is that the fruit of such union is likely to perpetuate, emphasize, and augment the unpleasant traits of the family. The noted Jukes, Kallikaks, Zeros, and Nams families are a sample of this. Nearly all are criminal, idiotic, or low in character. The fruit of such a union is more likely to be affected unfavorably mentally and physically, all things being equal, than the fruit of a marriage between those not blood relatives. If both parents were of different temperament, strong and well physically, and well-balanced mentally, one generation would not be likely to suffer.
