pagan and christian creeds-第30章

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e　object　of　religion　to　bring　the　whole　human　being　into　some　intelligible　relation　with　the　physical；　moral；　and　if　you　like　supernatural　order　of　the　great　world　around　him。　Sex　was　felt　from　the　first　to　be　part；　and　a　foundational　part；　of　the　great　order　of　the　world　and　of　human　nature；　and　therefore　to　separate　it　from　Religion　was　unthinkable　and　a　kind　of　contradiction　in　terms。＇1＇

＇1＇　For　further　development　of　this　subject　see　ch。　xv。


If　that　is　trueit　will　be　askedhow　was　it　that　that　divorce　DID　take　placethat　the　taboo　did　arise？　How　was　it　that　the　Jews；　under　the　influence　of　Josiah　and　the　Hebrew　prophets；　turned　their　faces　away　from　sex　and　strenuously　opposed　the　Syrian　cults？　How　was　it　that　this　reaction　extended　into　Christianity　and　became　even　more　definite　in　the　Christian　Churchthat　monks　went　by　thousands　into　the　deserts　of　the　Thebaid；　and　that　the　early　Fathers　and　Christian　apologists　could　not　find　terms　foul　enough　to　hurl　at　Woman　as　the　symbol　（to　them）　of　nothing　but　sex…corruption　and　delusion？　How　was　it　that　this　contempt　of　the　body　and　degradation　of　sex…　things　went　on　far　into　the　Middle　Ages　of　Europe；　and　ultimately　created　an　organized　system　of　hypocrisy；　and　concealment　and　suppression　of　sex…instincts；　which；　acting　as　cover　to　a　vile　commercial　Prostitution　and　as　a　breeding　ground　for　horrible　Disease；　has　lasted　on　even　to　the　edge　of　the　present　day？

This　is　a　fair　question；　and　one　which　demands　an　answer。　There　must　have　been　a　reason；　and　a　deep…rooted　one；　for　this　remarkable　reaction　and　volte…face　which　has　characterized　Christianity；　and；　perhaps　to　a　lesser　degree；　other　both　earlier　and　later　cults　like　those　of　the　Buddhists；　the　Egyptians；　the　Aztecs；＇1＇　and　so　forth。

＇1＇　For　the　Aztecs；　see　Acosta；　vol。　ii；　p。　324　（London；　1604）。


It　may　be　saidand　this　is　a　fair　answer　on　the　SURFACE　of　the　problemthat　the　main　reason　WAS　something　in　the　nature　of　a　reaction。　The　excesses　and　corruptions　of　sex　in　Syria　had　evidently　become　pretty　bad；　and　that　very　fact　may　have　led　to　a　pendulum…swing　of　the　Jewish　Church　in　the　opposite　direction；　and　again　in　the　same　way　the　general　laxity　of　morals　in　the　decay　of　the　Roman　empire　may　have　confirmed　the　Church　of　early　Christendom　in　its　determination　to　keep　along　the　great　high　road　of　asceticism。　The　Christian　followed　on　the　Jewish　and　Egyptian　Churches；　and　in　this　way　a　great　tradition　of　sexual　continence　and　anti…pagan　morality　came　right　down　the　centuries　even　into　modern　times。

This　seems　so　far　a　reasonable　theory；　but　I　think　we　shall　go　farther　and　get　nearer　the　heart　of　the　problem　if　we　revert　to　the　general　clue　which　I　have　followed　already　more　than　oncethe　clue　of　the　necessary　evolution　of　human　Consciousnss。　In　the　first　or　animal　stage　of　human　evolution；　Sex　was　（as　among　the　animals）　a　perfectly　necessary；　instinctive　and　unself…conscious　activity。　It　was　harmonious　with　itself；　natural；　and　unproductive　of　evil。　But　when　the　second　stage　set　in；　in　which　man　became　preponderantly　SELF…conscious；　he　inevitably　set　about　deflecting　sex…activities　to　his　own　private　pleasure　and　advantage；　he　employed　his　budding　intellect　in　scheming　the　derailment　of　passion　and　desire　from　tribal　needs　and；　Nature's　uses　to　the　poor　details　of　his　own　gratification。　If　the　first　stage　of　harmonious　sex…instinct　and　activity　may　be　held　as　characteristic　of　the　Golden　Age；　the　second　stage　must　be　taken　to　represent　the　Fall　of　man　and　his　expulsion　from　Paradise　in　the　Garden　of　Eden　story。　The　pleasure　and　glory　of　Sex　having　been　turned　to　self…purposes；　Sex　itself　became　the　great　Sin。　A　sense　of　guilt　overspread　man's　thoughts　on　the　subject。　〃He　knew　that　he　was　naked；〃　and　he　fled　from　the　voice　and　face　of　the　Lord。　From　that　moment　one　of　the　main　objects　of　his　life　（in　its　inner　and　newer　activities）　came　to　be　the　DENIAL　of　Sex。　Sex　was　conceived　of　as　the　great　Antagonist；　the　old　Serpent　lying　ever　in　wait　to　betray　him；　and　there　arrived　a　moment　in　the　history　of　every　race；　and　of　every　representative　religion；　when　the　sexual　rites　and　ceremonies　of　the　older　time　lost　their　naive　and　quasi…innocent　character　and　became　afflicted　with　a　sense　of　guilt　and　indecency。　This　extraordinarily　interesting　and　dramatic　moment　in　human　evolution　was　of　course　that　in　which　self…consciousness　grew　powerful　enough　to　penetrate　to　the　centre　of　human　vitality；　the　sanctumof　man's　inner　life；　his　sexual　instinct；　and　to　deal　it　a　terrific　blowa　blow　from　which　it　has　never　yet　recovered；　and　from　which　indeed　it　will　not　recover；　until　the　very　nature　of　man's　inner　life　is　changed。

It　may　be　said　that　it　was　very　foolish　of　Man　to　deny　and　to　try　to　expel　a　perfectly　natural　and　sensible　thing；　a　necessary　and　indispensable　part　of　his　own　nature。　And　that；　as　far　as　I　can　see；　is　perfectly　true。　But　sometimes　it　is　unavoidable；　it　would　seem；　to　do　foolish　things　if　only　to　convince　oneself　of　one's　own　foolishness。　On　the　other　hand；　this　policy　on　the　part　of　Man　was　certainly　very　wisewiser　than　he　knewfor　in　attempting　to　drive　out　Sex　（which　of　course　he　could　not　do）　he　entered　into　a　conflict　which　was　bound　to　end　in　the　expulsion　of　SOMETHING；　and　that　something　was　the　domination；　within　himself；　of　self…consciousness；　the　very　thing　which　makes　and　ever　has　made　sex　detestable。　Man　did　not　succeed　in　driving　the　snake　out　of　the　Garden；　but　he　drove　himself　out；　taking　the　real　old　serpent　of　self…greed　and　self…　gratification　with　him。　When　some　day　he　returns　to　Paradise　this　latter　will　have　died　in　his　bosom　and　been　cast　away；　but　he　will　find　the　good　Snake　there　as　of　old；　full　of　healing　and　friendliness；　among　the　branches　of　the　Tree　of　Life。

Besides　it　is　evident　from　other　considerations　that　this　moment　of　the　denial　of　sex　HAD　to　come。　When　one　thinks　of　the　enormous　power　of　this　passion；　and　its　age…long；　hold　upon　the　human　race；　one　realizes　that　once　liberated　from　the　instinctive　bonds　of　nature；　and　backed　by　a　self…conscious　and　self…seeking　human　intelligence　it　was　on　the　way　to　become　a　fearful　curse。

　　A　monstrous　Eft　was　of　old　the　Lord　and　Master　of　Earth；　　　For　him　did　his　high　sun　flame；　and　his　river　billowing　ran。

And　this　may　have　been　all　very　well　and　appropriate　in　the　carboniferous　Epoch；　but　WE　in　the　end　of　Time　have　no　desire　to　fall　under　any　such　preposterous　domination；　or　to　return　to　the　primal　swamps　from　which　organic　nature　has　so　slowly　and　painfully　emerged。

I　say　it　was　the　entry　of　self…consciousness　into　the　sphere　of　Sex；　and　the　consequent　use　of　the　latter　for　private　ends；　which　poisoned　this　great　race…power　at　its　root。　For　above　all；　Sex；　as　representing　through　Childbirth　the　life　of　the　Race　（or　of　the　Tribe；　or；　if　you　like；　of　Humanity　at　large）　should　be　sacred　and　guarded　from　merely　selfish　aims；　and　therefore　to　use　it　only　for　such　aims　is　indeed　a　desecration。　And　even　ifas　some　maintain　and　I　think　rightly＇1＇sex　is　not　MERELY　for　child…birth　and　physical　procreation；　but　for　mutual　vitalizing　and　invigoration；　it　still　subserves　union　and　not　egotism；　and　to　use　it　egotistically　is　to　commit　the　sin　of　Separation　indeed。　It　is　to　cast　away　and　corrupt　the　very　bond　of　life　and　fellowship。　The　ancient　peoples　at　any　rate　threw　an　illumination　of　religious　（that　is；　of　communal　and　public）　value　over　sex…acts；　and　to　a　great　extent　made　them　into　matters　either　of　Temple…ritual　and　the　worship　of　the　gods；　or　of　communal　and　pandemic　celebration；　as　in　the　Saturnalia　and　other　similar　festivals。　We　have　certainly　no　right　to　regard　these　celebrationsof　either　kindas　insincere。　They　were；　at　any　rate　in　their　inception；　genuinely　religious　or　genuinely　social　and　festal；　and　from　either　point　of　view　they　were　far　better　than　the　secrecy　of　private　indulgence　which　characterizes　our　modern　world　in　these　matters。　The　thorough　and　shameless　commercialism　of　Sex　has　alas！　been　reserved　for　what　is　called　〃Christian　civilization；〃　and　with　it　（perhaps　as　a　necessary　consequence）　Prostitution　and　Syphilis　have　grown　into　appalling　evils；　accompanied　by　a　gigantic　degradation　of　social　standards；　and　upgrowth　of　petty　Philistinism　and　niaiserie。　Love；　in　fact；　having　in　this　modern　world…movement　been　denied；　and　its　natural　manifestations　affected　with　a　sense　of　guilt　and　of　sin；　has　really　languished　and　ceased　to　play　its　natural　part　in　life；　and　a　vast　number　of　peopleboth　men　and　women；　finding　themselves　barred　or　derailed　from　the　main　object　of　existence；　have　turned　their　energies　to　'business'　or　'money…making'　or　'social　advancement'　or　something　equally　futile；　as　the　only　poor　substitute　and　pis　aller　open　to　them。

＇1＇　See　Havelock　Ellis；　The　Objects　of　Marriage；　a　pamphlet　published　by　the　〃British　Society　for　the　Study　of　Sex…psychology。〃


Why　（again　we　ask）　did　Christianity　make　this　apparently　great　mistake？　And　again　we　must　reply：　Perhaps　the　mistake　was　not　so　great　as　it　appears　to　be。　Perhaps　this　was　another　case　of　the　necessity　of　learning　by　loss。　Love　had　to　be　denied；　in　the　form　of　sex；　in　order　that　it　might　thus　the　better　learn　its　own　true　values　and　needs。　Sex　had　to　be　rejected；　or　defiled　with　the　sense　of　guilt　and　self…　seeking；　in　order　that　having　cast　out　its　defilement　it　might　return　one　day；　transformed　in　the　embrace　of　love。　The　whole　process　has　had　a　deep　and　strange　world…　significance。　It　has　led　to　an　immensely　long　period　of　suppressionsuppression　of　two　great　instinctsthe　physical　instinct　of　sex　and　the　emotional　instinct　of　love。　Two　things　which　should　naturally　be　conjoined　have　been　separated；　and　both　have　suffered。　And　we　know　from　the　Freudian　teachings　what　suppressions　in　the　root…instincts　necessarily　mean。　We　know　that　they　inevitably　terminate　in　diseases　and　distortions　of　proper　action；　either　in　the　body　or　in　the　mind；　or　in　both；　and　that　these　evils　can　only　be　cured　by　the　liberation　of　the　said　instincts　again　to　their　proper　expression　and　harmonious　functioning　in　the　whole　organism。　No　wonder　then　that；　with　this　agelong　suppression　（necessary　in　a　sense　though　it　may　have　been）　which　marks　the　Christian　dispensation；　there　should　have　been　associated　endless　Sickness　and　Crime　and　sordid　Poverty；　the　Crucifixion　of　animals　in　the　name　of　Science　and　of　human　workers　in　the　name　of　Wealth；　and　wars　and　horrors　innumerable！　Hercules　writhing　in　the　Nessus…shirt　or　Prometheus　nailed　to　the　rocks　are　only　as　figures　of　a　toy　miniature　compared　with　this　vision　of　the　great　and　divine　Spirit　of　Man　caught　in　the　clutches　of　those　dread　Diseases　which　through　the　centuries　have　been　eating　into　his　very　heart　and　vitals。

It　would　not　be　fair　to　pile　on　the　Christian　Church　the　blame　for　all　this。　It　had；　no　doubt；　its　part　to　play　in　the　whole　great　scheme；　namely；　to　accentuate　the　self…motive；　and　it　played　the　part　very　thoroughly　and　successfully。　For　it　must　be　remembered　（what　I　have　again　and　again　insisted　on）　that　in　the　pagan　cults　it　was　always　the　salvation　of　the　CLAN；　the　TRIBE；　the　people　that　was　the　main　consideration；　the　advantage　of　the　individual　took　only　a　very　secondary　part。　But　in　Christendomafter　the　communa