1. Is it okay for first cousins to enter into a relationship and marry? What does the Bible say about this subject? If God is okay with it then why is society so uncomfortable with it?

2. I trust you will answer my question as best you can with evidence of course. I’ve been grown up to think that liking your cousin is sick and a sin. I was born in a country which thinks the same way, but grew up here in the United States. I visited not too long ago and started falling in love with my female cousin. I didn’t know if my feelings were right or not so I researched it and found that it wasn’t a sin and perfectly fine to love or even marry your cousin. Religiously (Christian Bible) and medically. It’s been over 2 years now and me and my cousin are madly in love with each other and I want my Christian family to understand or know the truth. Thank you very much for your time. God Bless.

The laws concerning marriage between cousins vary depending on where you live. For example in the United States:

“Close blood relatives cannot marry, although in some states, first cousins can marry. Of the states that allow first cousins to marry, a few also require that one of the cousins no longer be able to conceive children.” – http://marriagelaws.info/

The issue concerns genetics. There is a higher risk of birth defects in children who are born to close relatives. However, there are various and often conflicting studies regarding risk factors. This is why some places permit it and others don’t.

Marriage between first cousins was permitted in the Bible. This however doesn’t set a precedent since the general health of people was better then. Many of them lived to be more than a hundred and fifty years old and birth defects were less common.