Conjoined twins. A dilemma?

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I watched an interesting show on TLC about conjoined twins and they showcased two twins named Abigail and Brittany. It was a really good show. They stated they would like to get married one day and have children since the one set reproductive organs work.

My question is can they marry two seperate people since they are two seperate people with one body or do they need to marry one man? Would it be permissable either way?

Also if they married two people would they be commiting adultery on each other since they would need to have relations with on set of reproductive organs for their spouses?

How would the Church handle this situation? I’m sure they have two seperate souls but they have only one body.

what are your thoughts on this subject?

(for background on the twins check out en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_and_Brittany_Hensel)
 
I have seen TV programs on Abigail and Brittany; they are bright persons, and I get the impression that they must be a lot of fun to be around.

I seriously doubt that anyone will find any special teaching in Church documents applicable to their situation. Church teaching is, by and large, aimed at the great mass of “normal” people (whatever the heck that means), and special cases like Brit and Ab, or XXY people, or “hermaphodites,” are pretty much left out of things. I wish that were not so.

DaveBj
 
Fox said:
I watched an interesting show on TLC about conjoined twins and they showcased two twins named Abigail and Brittany. It was a really good show. They stated they would like to get married one day and have children since the one set reproductive organs work.

My question is can they marry two seperate people since they are two seperate people with one body or do they need to marry one man? Would it be permissable either way?

Also if they married two people would they be commiting adultery on each other since they would need to have relations with on set of reproductive organs for their spouses?

How would the Church handle this situation? I’m sure they have two seperate souls but they have only one body.

what are your thoughts on this subject?

(for background on the twins check out en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_and_Brittany_Hensel)
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ho ho ho…

This is a sticky one!!!
 
Fox said:
I I’m sure they have two seperate souls but they have only one body.
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To be correct, they have seperate bodies that are connected.

Each body is animated by a distinct soul.
 
If there is just one set of reproductive organs, I don’t see how they could decide whom they “belong” to. Nor do I think they could say, one night they’re mine and tomorrow they’re yours. If a child were conceived, they would “both” be the mom if there is just one set of ovaries.

Hard as it may be, they should probably not marry. I wonder, though, if they’d be allowed to adopt?
 
I recall their doctor saying on the last show i saw about them that they are unsure about the reproductive system, because there is one set of reproductive organs, but two brains, which will both try to control it. At the time, I had asked my friend, who is very Catholic, and a theology major, and she said she thinks they probably could not marry in the Church.
I think I would also think of adultery as well, whoever mentioned that, since if they both feel what goes on there, then there will clearly be three people involved in relations, not just two.
 
Fox said:
I watched an interesting show on TLC about conjoined twins and they showcased two twins named Abigail and Brittany. It was a really good show. They stated they would like to get married one day and have children since the one set reproductive organs work. ]
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Yes, fascinating video and questions. It might be difficult to find two men who would be happy to share the one body of their wives, and who would be willing to take on the inevitable death of the one shortly after the other. I see no problem, however, with one man marrying one of them; should adultery even be relevant here?

StAnastasia
 
StAnastasia said:
Yes, fascinating video and questions. It might be difficult to find two men who would be happy to share the one body of their wives, and who would be willing to take on the inevitable death of the one shortly after the other. I see no problem, however, with one man marrying one of them; should adultery even be relevant here?

StAnastasia
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What comes to my mind is (I think i said this) that if they both have feeling down there, which I would assume they do, then even if a man was the husband of one of them, in sexual relations, it would be like he’s having sex with both. They would both be involved in it. like a threesome. And that’s adulterous, isn’t it?
 
These girls grew up about 5 miles from where I grew up. I have never met them, but my parents have a few years ago.

They are quite amazing. They graduated from a Lutheran High School and now attend a private Baptist college in MN.
 
I saw a show on them awhile ago - they are definitely two different people. As far as marrying and having children goes I believe it would depend a lot on how their reproductive system(s) work. I can’t imagine that in the case of both of them having “feeling” it would even be a matter of Church law. I would think it wouldn’t be psychologically healthy to “take turns” with respective husbands. But maybe if they fell in love there would be an understanding there wouldn’t be any sex? I don’t know.
 
Fidelia said:
What comes to my mind is (I think i said this) that if they both have feeling down there, which I would assume they do, then even if a man was the husband of one of them, in sexual relations, it would be like he’s having sex with both. They would both be involved in it. like a threesome. And that’s adulterous, isn’t it?
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Adultery depends on intention. If a man were to marry on of the women and then intended to focus his attention on the other, that might be grounds for adultery. I hope they find fulfillment and happiness, but it would take rare men to make the sacrifices entailed in living and consummating these relationships, and in expecting an early death of both of them,

StAnastasia
 
HouseArrest;4508971 But maybe if they fell in love there would be an understanding there wouldn’t be any sex? I don’t know. [/QUOTE said:
Why?
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HouseArrest said:
If it would cause problems between them if they did? I don’t know -just saying it is a possibility.
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Well, they have only one body between them. Any children would be from both of them – two mothers and one father.
 
If I were a conjoined twin in this situation, I don’t possibly see how the Church could condone anything but a Josephite marriage where sex does not occur. I mean, there is going to be two women present during the sex act. That and other things just totally complicate this issue. That said, I honestly don’t know if the Church would condone a normal marriage for these twins or not but I would say that they are most likely destined for the celibate life.
 
Holly3278 said:
If I were a conjoined twin in this situation, I don’t possibly see how the Church could condone anything but a Josephite marriage where sex does not occur. I mean, there is going to be two women present during the sex act. That and other things just totally complicate this issue. That said, I honestly don’t know if the Church would condone a normal marriage for these twins or not but I would say that they are most likely destined for the celibate life.
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Well, they’re not Catholic, so I imagine they will find marriage and children open possibilities, assuming there are husbands heroic enough to shoulder the awesome challenge.

StAnastasia
 
StAnastasia said:
Well, they’re not Catholic, so I imagine they will find marriage and children open possibilities, assuming there are husbands heroic enough to shoulder the awesome challenge.

StAnastasia
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Yes, but if they were Catholic would they be prohibited from marrying? 🤷:confused:
 
Holly3278 said:
Yes, but if they were Catholic would they be prohibited from marrying? 🤷:confused:
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I don’t know; there is little precedent for this. If dicephalous male twins fell in love with dicephalous female twins (right to left and left to right) marriage and child rearing might be easier.

StAnastasia
 
StAnastasia said:
I don’t know; there is little precedent for this. If dicephalous male twins fell in love with dicephalous female twins (right to left and left to right) marriage and child rearing might be easier.

StAnastasia
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Yeah I agree. That said, I wouldn’t think that the Church would permit marriage in a case like this.
 
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