Sexy Gnostics

[Sebastian Dangerfield]

On Tue, 29 Dec 1998 16:53:25 -0500 (EST) Paul Mackin <pmackin at clark.net>
writes:
>
>
>On Tue, 29 Dec 1998, Sebastian Dangerfield wrote:
>> 
>>   Huxley noted that "to his great satisfaction" the term took. 
>> Indeed it did, and not only among scientists and philosophers but 
>> also among educated people generally.
>> 

Although I am always eager to accept a tendered credit, even when my
entitlement thereto is far from clear, I must point out that these
sentences were penned by Paul Edwards.

>The Christian Gnostics  (manicheans to the core) believed matter was 
>evil and therefore sex was to be avoided, getting Christianity off to an
>anti-sex start. :-)

Now I should quit while I'm ahead here--especially because on such issues
I head even further into what is for me _terra incognita_ --but I seem to
recall that at least one of the Gnostic sects--the Cathars--were a pretty
fun-loving group.  Although they believed that matter was evil, they
were, I think, quite fond of sex, abjured monogamy and marriage, and
pioneered in the field of birth control (was it the old
orange-peel-as-diaphragm technology or something else?).  I recall from
some earlier list exchanges that we have some folks here with a good deal
more facility with Gnosticism than I have . . . does this ring any bells?

Gingerly,

Sebastian


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