Rhode Island Law ALLOWS INCEST

State of Rhode Island General Laws

TITLE 15 Domestic Relations
CHAPTER 15-1 Persons Eligible to Marry
SECTION 15-1-4

§ 15-1-4 Marriages of kindred allowed by Jewish religion. – The provisions of §§ 15-1-1 – 15-1-3 shall not extend to, or in any way affect, any marriage which shall be solemnized among the Jewish people, within the degrees of affinity or consanguinity allowed by their religion.

This section of Rhode Island State law addresses marriage between blood relatives.

Section 15-1-1 states: No man shall marry his mother, grandmother, daughter, son's daughter, daughter's daughter, stepmother, grandfather's wife, son's wife, son's son's wife, daughter's son's wife, wife's mother, wife's grandmother, wife's daughter, wife's son's daughter, wife's daughter's daughter, sister, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister, or mother's sister.

Section 15-1-2 says the same for women (given the respective gender changes).

This is an interesting religious exception to the law. This law essentially delegates its ordinary authority over marriage to Jewish religious tradition (Leviticus chapter 18 allows incest between uncles and nieces). Rhode Island allows nieces and uncles to marry because they have the religious freedom to practice according to the tenets of their religion. If your religion says that your uncle can bone his niece, what's to stop him? Certainly not the law, and even more certainly not his source of ethics and morals, his religion. Do I need to mention that people generally agree fucking your niece is immoral? Didn't think so.

Rhode Island is not alone. Colorado and Minnesota likewise exempt uncle-niece marriages that are "permitted by the established customs of aboriginal cultures." Oregon, doesn't criminalize uncle-niece sex at all but doesn't recognize such marriages.