Sacred sex: Why has no cult or religion done this?

[Mythos40]

Long, long ago, ancient religions instituted sacred fornication or sacred promiscuity as a means for people to "know" various deities better, right beside burning incense, pouring libations, prostration, and sacrifices. The stereotypical example of this came in the form of cult / religious / sacred / temple prostitution, although forms not involving prostitution include the "sacred sex" seen in The Da Vinci Code.

Other religions reacted to this by banning the notion of fornication or sacred promiscuity, and at least one went so far as to declare that sex was a necessary evil in human lives, at best.

After the Enlightenment, there emerged discussions "holy sex" here and there, but only in the form of sex in marriage, and even then without cultic ramifications. Even recent literature on "kosher sex" tackles only the secular aspects of sex in marriage.

Today, New Age concepts of sacred sex have emerged, such as tantric sex. However, they are quite flexible in the application of sex rites; New Age sex rites inside or outside marriages (or other committed monogamous relationships) are OK.

Why has no cult or religion ever instituted sacred sex between married partners only (or at least committed monogamous partners) as the exclusive sexual means of "knowing" some deity better? Wouldn't this be taking "holy sex" to its most logical conclusion?

 

[Kirran]

Many Tantric traditions of South Asia do that.

 

[Deidre]

The ideas surrounding sex and sexuality, are individual and unique. Even in religious circles. There are many people who see sex as sacred, but many who don't. I think that it's already happening in religions, to be honest.

 

[Flame]

Thelema is basically built around sexuality and sex magick. However it's either extremely promiscuous or monogamous, that's really up to you.

 

[David T]

Who needs religion for that? Fertility religions takes on all kinds of forms already without actual sex involved and are fertility religions without any direct conscious awareness of it being that in some cases.

I dunno I think jack white nails boy girl well in this song. Sex is great it's adult but there is way more to life and relationships than sex... Like play.

 

[Ellen Brown]

Long, long ago, ancient religions instituted sacred fornication or sacred promiscuity as a means for people to "know" various deities better, right beside burning incense, pouring libations, prostration, and sacrifices. The stereotypical example of this came in the form of cult / religious / sacred / temple prostitution, although forms not involving prostitution include the "sacred sex" seen in The Da Vinci Code.

Other religions reacted to this by banning the notion of fornication or sacred promiscuity, and at least one went so far as to declare that sex was a necessary evil in human lives, at best.

After the Enlightenment, there emerged discussions "holy sex" here and there, but only in the form of sex in marriage, and even then without cultic ramifications. Even recent literature on "kosher sex" tackles only the secular aspects of sex in marriage.

Today, New Age concepts of sacred sex have emerged, such as tantric sex. However, they are quite flexible in the application of sex rites; New Age sex rites inside or outside marriages (or other committed monogamous relationships) are OK.

Why has no cult or religion ever instituted sacred sex between married partners only (or at least committed monogamous partners) as the exclusive sexual means of "knowing" some deity better? Wouldn't this be taking "holy sex" to its most logical conclusion?

At the risk of attracting a Mortar attack by certain folk, you may want to look into Deep Doctrine practices of the Salt Lake City Mormons, that is if you have time to throw away. You can perhaps find enough to satisfy your curiosity on YouTube. I was not taught that right away, and when I saw what they were teaching, it was unacceptable to me, so I left their dominion.

 

[Katzpur]

At the risk of attracting a Mortar attack by certain folk, you may want to look into Deep Doctrine practices of the Salt Lake City Mormons, that is if you have time to throw away. You can perhaps find enough to satisfy your curiosity on YouTube. I was not taught that right away, and when I saw what they were teaching, it was unacceptable to me, so I left their dominion.

Hey, Ellen! Surely you weren't referring to yours truly. I love you, too, sweetheart. It's such a pleasure to see you back in all your hateful glory.

Note to anyone who would like to discuss "Deep Doctrine" (aka all of the weird, sicko, demented stuff Mormons supposedly really believe, but don't tell you, but that for some odd reason you can readily find anywhere on the internet, uncensored for your viewing pleasure): Please feel free to contact me. As a 69+ year member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I can assure you I'm a more reliable source of information than "certain other folk" who have never been members of the Church at all. Of course, if you just want to "satisfy your curiosity" and don't particularly care about actually furthering your understanding of the "Deep Doctrine," YouTube will definitely suffice. "The Godmakers" is a particularly fun little cartoon feature about Mormonism, complete with spooky music and a marvelous narrative -- which, even if misleading, will thoroughly convince you that Mormonism is an "ungodly cult" as "certain folk" have described it.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Long, long ago, ancient religions instituted sacred fornication or sacred promiscuity as a means for people to "know" various deities better, right beside burning incense, pouring libations, prostration, and sacrifices. The stereotypical example of this came in the form of cult / religious / sacred / temple prostitution, although forms not involving prostitution include the "sacred sex" seen in The Da Vinci Code.

Other religions reacted to this by banning the notion of fornication or sacred promiscuity, and at least one went so far as to declare that sex was a necessary evil in human lives, at best.

After the Enlightenment, there emerged discussions "holy sex" here and there, but only in the form of sex in marriage, and even then without cultic ramifications. Even recent literature on "kosher sex" tackles only the secular aspects of sex in marriage.

Today, New Age concepts of sacred sex have emerged, such as tantric sex. However, they are quite flexible in the application of sex rites; New Age sex rites inside or outside marriages (or other committed monogamous relationships) are OK.

Why has no cult or religion ever instituted sacred sex between married partners only (or at least committed monogamous partners) as the exclusive sexual means of "knowing" some deity better? Wouldn't this be taking "holy sex" to its most logical conclusion?

Some Pagan paths do foster concepts of sacred sex. My own tradition (Greek polytheism) has the concept of hieros gamos - the sacred marriage; Wiccans have the 'Great Rite' and so on.

Why is the concept of 'sacred sex' not more widespread than this? There are a number of reasons:

1. Western and middle eastern societies still have huge hang-ups relating to sex, sexuality and feminine empowerment. You can thank the Abrahamic faiths; specifically Christianity & Islam for ensuring these have lasted in our society. While pre-Christian societies in Europe weren't exactly bastions of femininity and sexual egalitarianism; they did have concepts of sacred sex;
2. We tend to view sex as a private and intimate thing (which it is, really) so discussing it in public can be anything from uncomfortable to downright inappropriate;
3. The Christo-Islamic interpretation of deity firmly divorces their god from sex - for them it is an urge to be controlled and must only ever be enjoyed in very rigidly defined circumstances. They're not (AFAIK) taught to view sex as a method of communing with the Abrahamic god. Pre-Christian Pagan societies, on the other hand, worshipped gods who they believed could be experienced directly in the flesh (so to speak). A temple prostitute was regarded as a vessel of the deity whose temple he or she solicited for (invariably a goddess such as Aphrodite or Ishtar);
4. Cults to gods such as Dionysos or Aphrodite (to name only two more commonly associated with sex) are slow in getting off the ground because a) their worshippers are so few and far between, b) the rise of individualism in Western society is proving to be a barrier to fostering a sense of community and trust necessary for cults engaging in something as intimate as worship through sex, c) the concept of monogamy is still strongly ingrained in our culture - so people aren't likely to be happy if they started getting frisky with other people even if they did so as part of a ritual and d) the simple reason that not everybody is comfortable with public/group sex even as part of worship;
5. Prostitution (and more specifically 'pimping') is still illegal in many Western countries which is a barrier to the founding of any sort of fertility cult or temple open to the public where sex could be performed as an act of worship.

 

[dfnj]

Long, long ago, ancient religions instituted sacred fornication or sacred promiscuity as a means for people to "know" various deities better, right beside burning incense, pouring libations, prostration, and sacrifices. The stereotypical example of this came in the form of cult / religious / sacred / temple prostitution, although forms not involving prostitution include the "sacred sex" seen in The Da Vinci Code.

Other religions reacted to this by banning the notion of fornication or sacred promiscuity, and at least one went so far as to declare that sex was a necessary evil in human lives, at best.

After the Enlightenment, there emerged discussions "holy sex" here and there, but only in the form of sex in marriage, and even then without cultic ramifications. Even recent literature on "kosher sex" tackles only the secular aspects of sex in marriage.

Today, New Age concepts of sacred sex have emerged, such as tantric sex. However, they are quite flexible in the application of sex rites; New Age sex rites inside or outside marriages (or other committed monogamous relationships) are OK.

Why has no cult or religion ever instituted sacred sex between married partners only (or at least committed monogamous partners) as the exclusive sexual means of "knowing" some deity better? Wouldn't this be taking "holy sex" to its most logical conclusion?

Does this fit your bill:

JOSEPH CAMPBELL AND THE POWER OF MYTH
Ep. 4: Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth


In the fourth episode of The Power of Myth, Bill Moyers and mythologist Joseph Campbell discuss the role of sacrifice in myth — including a mother’s sacrifice for her child — and the need for all of us to find our sacred places in the midst of today’s fast-paced world. In this clip, the two discuss where heroism can be witnessed in modern society.

Released in 1988, The Power of Myth was one of the most popular TV series in the history of public television, and continues to inspire new audiences.

BILL MOYERS: So what you have is the same story springing up in cultures unrelated to each other. What is this saying?

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: Well, to such an extent that it’s stunning. And after years and years and years of reading these things, I am still overwhelmed at the similarities in cultures that are far, far apart. There are two explanations of this. Now, one explanation is that the human psyche is essentially the same all over the world. It is the inward aspect of the human body, which is essentially the same all over the world, with the same organs, with the same instincts, with the same impulse systems, with the same conflicts, the same fears.

There is also the counter theory of diffusion. Now, for instance, when agriculture is first developed, let’s say, in the Near East or in Southeast Asia, I mean, these are the two big centers in the old world, then the art of tilling the soil goes forth from this area. And along with it goes a mythology that has to do with fertilizing the earth and bringing up the plants, killing the body, cutting it up, burying it and having the plant come. That myth will go with the agricultural tradition. You won’t find it in a planting in a hunting culture tradition. So that there are historical as well as psychological aspects of this problem.

BILL MOYERS: In all of these stories there is someone dying, a hero dying, in order for life to appear again. What does that say to you?

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: Let me tell you one story here. This isn’t a story, this is a ritual. It’s in New Guinea, and it’s associated with the men’s societies in New Guinea, and they are horror societies, because they really enact the myth of death and resurrection and cannibalistic consumption. And you have the myth there of the buried body and the life coming out of it, you know, this is the basic myth. Now we’re going to enact it.

So here’s this sacred field, the drums going and chants going and then pauses, and this went on for three or four or five days, on and on. And rituals are boring, they just wear you out, you know, and then you break through to something else. Then comes the great moment: the young boys who were being initiated into manhood were now to have their first sexual experience. There was a great shed of enormous logs, supported by two uprights over here, and the young woman comes in, all ornamented as a deity, and she is brought to lie down in this place, beneath the great roof. And the boys then, with the drums going and chanting going on, one after another, there are about six boys, have their first permitted or public intercourse with the girl. And when the last boy is with her in full embrace, the supports are withdrawn, the logs drop, and the couple are killed.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Many Tantric traditions of South Asia do that.

Kama Sutra?

 

[Kirran]

Kama Sutra?

Not so much that, no.

 

[Gallowglass]

Making sex a way of connecting to god or gods within marriage opens up too many chances for abuse and coercion. Suddenly you can’t say no to sex, or your saying no to god(s). This is exactly how cults coerced young girls into abusive marriages, especially with those that are seen as a saviour or leader.
Heck, within the Amish community some women see it as a sin to go against who the bishop says you should marry.

 

[Milton Platt]

Long, long ago, ancient religions instituted sacred fornication or sacred promiscuity as a means for people to "know" various deities better, right beside burning incense, pouring libations, prostration, and sacrifices. The stereotypical example of this came in the form of cult / religious / sacred / temple prostitution, although forms not involving prostitution include the "sacred sex" seen in The Da Vinci Code.

Other religions reacted to this by banning the notion of fornication or sacred promiscuity, and at least one went so far as to declare that sex was a necessary evil in human lives, at best.

After the Enlightenment, there emerged discussions "holy sex" here and there, but only in the form of sex in marriage, and even then without cultic ramifications. Even recent literature on "kosher sex" tackles only the secular aspects of sex in marriage.

Today, New Age concepts of sacred sex have emerged, such as tantric sex. However, they are quite flexible in the application of sex rites; New Age sex rites inside or outside marriages (or other committed monogamous relationships) are OK.

Why has no cult or religion ever instituted sacred sex between married partners only (or at least committed monogamous partners) as the exclusive sexual means of "knowing" some deity better? Wouldn't this be taking "holy sex" to its most logical conclusion?

This whole thing seems silly and trivial. Humans are animals. Animals have sex. How does a hard penis get you closer to a god?

 

[Sir Doom]

In many widespread religions, sex is sacred. That's essentially the driving force behind the prohibition of promiscuity. Sex between a husband and wife is seen as sacred, everything else not so much.

Not my view, but it's pretty common.

As far as religions that use sex as part of their worship, someone mentioned Thelema already. Important to note that sex magick is not the extent of their belief structure and carries different importance to different Thelemists.

 

[Sir Doom]

This whole thing seems silly and trivial. Humans are animals. Animals have sex. How does a hard penis get you closer to a god?

It's how we create life. Pretty easy parallel.

 

[Milton Platt]

It's how we create life. Pretty easy parallel.

Sorry, just doesn't make sense.

 

[Sir Doom]

Sorry, just doesn't make sense.

God created life.
We create life through sex.

You honestly can't see how someone might connect the two?

I can understand rejecting the significance of that connection, but to say the connection makes no sense is just obtuse.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Sounds like a lot of trouble just to get laid .

 

[Milton Platt]

God created life.
We create life through sex.

You honestly can't see how someone might connect the two?

I can understand rejecting the significance of that connection, but to say the connection makes no sense is just obtuse.

Sometimes I don’t see what others see. What is the connection?

 

[Mythos40]

Does this fit your bill:

No, it doesn't. That's another example of sacred fornication or sacred promiscuity.

Making sex a way of connecting to god or gods within marriage opens up too many chances for abuse and coercion. Suddenly you can’t say no to sex, or your saying no to god(s). This is exactly how cults coerced young girls into abusive marriages, especially with those that are seen as a saviour or leader.

In Greco-Roman times, if someone wanted to offer an animal sacrifice, the culture was already such that he couldn't pressure someone else to come sacrifice with him. I'm sure modern society would have the means of getting rid of those chances.

This whole thing seems silly and trivial. Humans are animals. Animals have sex. How does a hard penis get you closer to a god?

Normally it shouldn't. I am criticizing an underlying hypocrisy.

In many widespread religions, sex is sacred. That's essentially the driving force behind the prohibition of promiscuity. Sex between a husband and wife is seen as sacred, everything else not so much.

There's the hypocrisy. If sex inside marriage is sacred, why is there no avenue to "connect" with the deity. According to allegorical texts from that neck of the woods, Adam and Eve once felt no shame at looking at one another's nude body. Perhaps, before the forbidden fruit, they "connected" with the deity through... sex?