Pleasures of the Flesh

DavidH

Sounds like a cool title to a movie...

No, really...I was thinking about different world religions and common ground for their beliefs. It seems to me that most, if not all, believe in detaching or putting aside the flesh (earthly pleasure) as the way to find God. Avoid the material pleasures. Thelema on the other hand shows to even indulge in the material pleasures but only unto Nuit. I guess it is in a way making each material sensation/pleasure a sacrament to God/Goddess.

Can anyone think of a religion, system, or what have you that teaches similar ideas?

jmiller

Different forms of satanism. Neopaganisms? But, of course, both of these, at least in a broad sense, drew upon Thelema as a major influence.

Malaclypse

Do cults using psychedelics count? In that case I could name a few.

Jim Eshelman

@DavidH said

"I guess it is in a way making each material sensation/pleasure a sacrament to God/Goddess.

Can anyone think of a religion, system, or what have you that teaches similar ideas?"

And it's the core principle of many (most?) systems of Tantrism.

Also, though it's done quite differently (and all too often has a lot of moral baggage wrapped up in it), practical (orthodox) Judaism is inherently Tantric and requires (for married couples) the sexual sacrament on each non-menstrual Sabbath eve.

bethata418

93

"Thelema on the other hand shows to even indulge in the material pleasures but only unto Nuit."

though also sex is ok in christianity if it is blessed by god, by marriage. in away this isnt too much different than thelemic principles "always unto nuit"
i think it is basically the same, though i dont see marriage as something a preist does but as an emotion between 2 people, otherwise known as love. and this love is always unto god or nuit or your HGA.

93s

Fr418

DavidH

@bethata418 said

"93

"Thelema on the other hand shows to even indulge in the material pleasures but only unto Nuit."

though also sex is ok in christianity if it is blessed by god, by marriage. in away this isnt too much different than thelemic principles "always unto nuit"
i think it is basically the same,... "

The difference is in the conscious act. Most Christians probably don't consciously "offer it up to" (sex) God.

Nick Rusch

@DavidH said

"Can anyone think of a religion, system, or what have you that teaches similar ideas?"

Chaos Magick uses sensory extremes as part of their system.

Jim Eshelman

The Chaos Magick evolution of this thread took it quite OT from its original purpose. (That sentence is worth a chuckle all by itself! <g>)

I've broken it off into a separate thread: heruraha.net/viewtopic.php?t=361