In fact, according to Jesus, even l****** after someone (before any physical act can take place) is considered a sin (Matthew 5:28)!! In conclusion, the Bible not only does not approve of incest, it also forbids we have s** with anyone (even if they are not closely related to us) outside the union of marriage. The reason why he forbids this behavior (other than he says so) is that those who practice it defile and destroy themselves through it (Leviticus 18:24 - 25, 27). They included exclusion from the covenant people (Leviticus 18:29, 20:17 - 18), childlessness (Leviticus 20:20 - 21) or even death (Leviticus 20:11 - 12, 14). The church had a member who was having s** with his stepmother while his father was still alive (1Corinthians 5)! God's law enumerated differing penalties for those found committing incest. The apostle Paul had to grudgingly deal with a case of incest occurring in the church at Corinth. John the Baptist condemned the marriage of Herod Antipas to his brother Philip's wife (Mark 6:17), an act that was clearly a sin (Leviticus 18:16, 20:21). By the time of the New Testament, however, incest was strictly forbidden.
