Dear Pastor,

This is my second letter to you and I hope that you would answer this one as I need your advice. I don't know how you feel about this problem but I am not comfortable with it. My older sister is married to the brother of my boyfriend, but my boyfriend and I were friends long before my sister and his brother started going together, but we are not yet married.

I am not ready for marriage because my boyfriend and myself are attending school, and we want to build a house first. My boyfriend is a trying person, although he is in college he has a 'robot' taxi on the road and it is his brother who is operating the taxi.

I love my sister and we get along like friends, but I would prefer if we had men who were not related. Whenever I say that to my boyfriend, he says that I am saying that because I have another guy in mind, but I don't.

Some people say that I am wrong because I should have gotten married to my boyfriend first instead of my sister getting married ahead of me.

Please for your advice.

H.M.

Dear H.M.,

First of all, let me begin by saying that there is nothing illegal, or even unethical for two sisters of one family to marry two brothers of another family. Some people don't like it because they are closely related. However, in some traditions, such like in India, it is common for a number of sisters to marry the biological brothers of another family. Such marriages are arranged by relatives and they do very well.

Whether or not you met your boyfriend first and your sister met his brother after and got married to him is not important. What is important is that both of you love each other and want to build a life together. Treat each other well and encourage your sister to treat her husband well. You will never convince certain people that it is not wrong for two sisters from one family to marry two brothers from one family.

Pastor