Ancient Mysteries, Holy Orgies!

Artfuldodger

Senior Member
Artfuldodger, I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding about how many pagan religions viewed sex in the context of religion.

Sex in many pagan religions is "part" of the ceremony as the Eucharist is "part" of the ceremony in a christian church, it is one of the central ceremonies if not THE central ceremony. Christians more commonly call it communion, and that is the way many pagan religions saw / see sex in this context. Sex in this context was seen as a spiritual practice, a union of people which allowed them to experience a communion with god/gods.

I realize it is a foreign idea to most christians to see sex this way, and as such it's easier to dismiss the idea out of hand.

Sex even in the Christian view is seen as a physical joining of two into one, a rejoining of the two parts of mankind. Sex forms a bond on a spiritual as well as physical level. Even Christians frequently express the idea of sex as communion with god in their verbal expressions during the act.

Good understanding and thanks for your viewpoint. I don't think Christianity's main spiritual meaning is sex but I do see a lot of sex and sexual comparisons within Christianity.
We could start with man needing a helper, reproduction, and offspring as with Adam & Eve. I see some where along the way the covenant with the Jews required circumcision.
While not sexual it does contain something in the realm of sexual body parts.

Next is the birth of Christ being of a virgin from no sex. But it did contain a fertilization, pregnancy, and birth.

Marriage. The Bride of Christ is the Church. In marriage two become one, sexually and spiritually. I'm not saying anything is sexual about Christ and his Church but a marriage analogy is used by Jesus to explain the relationship.

Next is all of the laws and commandments denouncing lust, adultery, and a whole host of other sexual sins and requirements.

Then there is more ideals and requirements presented by Scripture of the differences between the two sexes.

It would be hard to read the Bible and not note anything to do with sex and sexuality withing it's confines.
 

TTom

Senior Member
Oh no wasn't meaning Christianity's main spirituality was sex, in fact almost the opposite. In large part Because paganism was so sexual, in order to set themselves apart and form a recognizable nation, Judaism was instructed to reject sex as spiritual practice outside of marriage. Even then it wasn't until Christianity that sexuality once again took on a definitive spiritual aspect.

My point though was it would be impossible to actively participate in a sexual religious rite that by nature is part of worshiping another god/ goddess without shattering the 1st commandment.

The nature of the (orgies, temple prostitutes, sexual practices that are far more numerous than can be described here) was in many if not most cases far more about worship of the god/goddess the partner represented communion with. So the parallel is comparing the Eucharist with sexual spiritual practices, both representing communion, becoming one with god in that moment. Rather than comparing the way Christianity and pagan religions treat sex.
 
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