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Amaros -> RE: Christian Dominants (10/2/2009 4:31:09 PM)
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Also, early Christians were heavily influenced in the direction of Zoroastrian dualism, i.e., a struggle between good and evil, culminating in one side or the other being victorious.
That physical reality was considered to be the province of evil (Manichean duality) led early Christians to conclude that only by escaping from The World could they rejoin god, and to that end refused to procreate at all, and considered martyrdom to be the highest statement of purpose. Many martyred themselves deliberately, the sadistic Romans only too willing to comply - Deacon Lawrence, roasted on a gridiron is recorded as saying "Assum est, inquit, versa et manduca."- "This side’s done, turn me over and have a bite". As St. Lawrence he is the patron saint of comedians, butchers and roasters.
Elements of both Zoroastrian and Manichean duality continue to pervade Christian theology. The Manichean elements again, are those that promoted celibacy, as in Paul - the physical world being innately corrupt, it was thought that in order for man to join god, he must cease his earthly existence - the notion of fleshly corruption comes from this or vice versa), and although the Manichean concept Satan-El as demiurge, or creator of this world was eventually deemed heretical, the conception Satan as corrupter persisted.
There is nothing like this in Judaism, or even Zoroastrianism, it's a uniquely Christian concept, as is an anthropomorphic god, which has more in common with pagan Roman mythos and Oriental god kings infiltrating from Egypt.
Still, it didn't really catch on, and Europeans continued to enjoy the pleasures of Tantric duality of their pagan heritage - Tantric duality is more akin to the concept of Yin and Yang, and philosophically, is concerned with the reconciliation of opposites rather than conflict between them: the friction being cyclical, following natural cycles as in the seasons rather than militant and terminal. The Hebrews similarly dealt with life, reproduction and death without abstracting it into an epic war between Heaven and Earth.
The Protestant reformation finally rebelled against the sterile dualism of Manichean influenced Catholicism, but Christians continued to get hung up on the fact that life ends in death and corruption, obsessing over the dichotomy between matter and and energy, corrupt flesh and pure spirit, and it gradually enters the dogma, first through Augustine's Doctrine of Original Sin, and reaches it's ultimate expression in Calvin's fatalistic Doctrine of Total Depravity.
This too, proved fairly unpopular, the Puritans gained power briefly, were soon sent packing. Calvinist Erotophobia doesn't appear again in significant force until syphilis is introduced form the New World, and culminates in the Nineteenth century, whence the roots of the current debate stem - young men started leaving the rural farms to seek their fortunes in the city in large numbers, and naturally sought to keep themselves entertained - this led to a big masturbation scare, as most people still adhered to Hippocrates four humor theory, and all sort of ills were ascribed to the loss of semen (semen begins to degrade, and loses a significant amount of motility after about three days, so abstaining any longer won't make you more potent, it will make you less potent and probably cause you prostate problems eventually).
It was an age of experimentation and diversification, the Mormon Church dates from this period, as do a number of other sects that attempted to deal with the sex issue, some even promoted birth control and extolled the "amative" virtues of sexuality.
Most however, leaned towards some variation of polygyny (even Calvin apparentlty tested these waters), and naturally, most found the notion of birth control threatening, since it was feared that women would be unable to sexually restrain themselves without the consequences of pregnancy (innate depravity).
All the while, polyandry, in the form of secular prostitution, remained hugely popular - even in Victorian England, complaints about prostitution more often than not took the form of complaining that streets were so choked with them that it made traffic impassable.
In America, the evangelical movement was heavily influenced by the Grahamites. Graham was a strong proponent of celibacy and natural foods, and the Grahamites were obsessed with their colons (corruption), undertaking a strict regimen of enemas.
The movement eventually split into the pagan/secular "Granola" movement on one side, and the sex-for-procreation-only faction on the other, and here we are.
Graham eventually proved to be unable to control his appetites, and like another famous spiritual leader, Buddha, ate himself to death.
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