pagan and christian creeds-第39节
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Modern inquiry has shown conclusively not only the foundational importance of sex in the evolution of each human being； but also the very great VARIETY of spontaneous manifestations in different individuals and the vital necessity that these should be recognized； if society is ever to expand into a rational human form。 It is not my object here to sketch the future of marriage and sex…relations generallya subject which is now being dealt with very effectively from many sides； but only to insist on our using our good sense in the whole matter； and refusing any longer to be bound by senseless pre…judgments。
Something of the same kind may be said with regard to Nakedness； which in modern Civilization has become the object of a very serious and indeed harmful taboo； both of speech and act。 As someone has said； it became in the end of the nineteenth century almost a crime to mention by name any portion of the human body within a radius of about twenty inches from its centre （！） and as a matter of fact a few dress…reformers of that period were actually brought into court and treated as criminals for going about with legs bare up to the knees； and shoulders and chest uncovered！ Public follies such as these have been responsible for much of the bodily and mental disease and suppression just mentioned； and the sooner they are sent to limbo the better。 No sensible person would advocate promiscuous nakedness any more than promiscuous sex… relationship； nor is it likely that aged and deformed people would at any time wish to expose themselves。 But surely there is enough good sense and appreciation of grace and fitness in the average human mind for it to be able to liberate the body from senseless concealment； and give it its due expression。 The Greeks of old； having on the whole clean bodies； treated them with respect and distinction。 The young men appeared quite naked in the palaestra； and even the girls of Sparta ran races publicly in the same condition；＇1＇ and some day when our bodies （and minds too） have become clean we shall return to similar institutions。 But that will not be just yet。 As long as the defilement of this commercial civilization is on us we shall prefer our dirt and concealment。 The powers that be will protest against change。 Heinrich Scham； in his charming little pamphlet Nackende Menschen；＇2＇ describes the consternation of the commercial people at such ideas：
〃 'What will become of us；' cried the tailors； 'if you go naked？'
〃And all the lot of them； hat； cravat； shirt； and shoemakers joined in the chorus。
〃 'AND WHERE SHALL I CARRY MY MONEY？' cried one who had just been made a director。〃
＇1＇ See Theocritus； Idyll xviii。
＇2＇ Published at Leipzig about 1893。
XIII。 THE GENESIS OF CHRISTIANITY
Referring back to the existence of something resembling a great World…religion which has come down the centuries； continually expanding and branching in the process； we have now to consider the genesis of that special brand or branch of it which we call Christianity。 Each religion or cult； pagan or Christian； has had； as we have seen； a vast amount in common with the general World…religion； yet each has had its own special characteristics。 What have been the main characteristics of the Christian branch； as differentiating it from the other branches？
We saw in the last chapter that a certain ascetic attitude towards Sex was one of the most salient marks of the Christian Church； and that whereas most of the pagan cults （though occasionally favoring frightful austerities and cruel sacrifices） did on the whole rejoice in pleasure and the world of the senses； Christianityfollowing largely on Judaismdisplayed a tendency towards renunciation of the world and the flesh； and a withdrawal into the inner and more spiritual regions of the mind。 The same tendency may be traced in the Egyptian and Phrygian cults of that period。 It will be remembered how Juvenal （Sat。 VI； 510…40） chaffs the priests of Cybele at Rome for making themselves 〃eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake；〃 or the rich Roman lady for plunging in the wintry Tiber for a propitiation to Isis。 No doubt among the later pagans 〃the long intolerable tyranny of the senses over the soul〃 had become a very serious matter。 But Christianity represented perhaps the most powerful reaction against this； and this reaction had； as indicated in the last chapter； the enormously valuable result that （for the time） it disentangled love from sex and established Love； pure and undefiled； as ruler of the world。 〃God is Love。〃 But； as also indicated； the divorce between the two elements of human nature； carried to an extreme； led in time to a crippling of both elements and the development of a certain morbidity and self…consciousness which； it cannot be denied； is painfully marked among some sections of Christiansespecially those of the altruistic and 'philanthropic' type。
Another characteristic of Christianity which is also very fine in its way but has its limits of utility； has been its insistence on 〃morality。〃 Some modern writers indeed have gone so farforgetting； I suppose； the Stoicsas to claim that Christianity's chief mark is its high morality； and that the pagans generally were quite wanting in the moral sense！ This； of course； is a profound mistake。 I should say that； in the true sense of the word； the early and tribal peoples have been much more 'moral' as a rulethat is； ready as individuals to pay respect to the needs of the communitythan the later and more civilized societies。 But the mistake arises from the different interpretations of the word； for whereas all the pagan religions insisted very strongly on the just… mentioned kind of morality； which we should call cIVIC DUTY TO ONE'S NEIGHBOR； the Christian made morality to consist more especially in a mans DUTY TO GOD。 It became with them a private affair between a mans self and…God； rather than a public affair； and thus led in the end to a very obnoxious and quite pharisaic kind of morality； whose chief inspiration was not the helping of one's fellow…man but the saving of one's own soul。
There may perhaps be other salient points of differentiation between Christianity and the preceding pagan religions； but for the present we may recognize these two（a） the tendency towards a renunciation of the world； and the consequent cultivation of a purely spiritual love and （b） the insistence on a morality whose inspiration was a private sense of duty to God rather than a public sense of duty to one's neighbor and to society generally。 It may be interesting to trace the causes which led to this differentiation。
Three centuries before our era the conquests of Alexander had had the effect of spreading the Greek thought and culture over most of the known world。 A vast number of small bodies of worshipers of local deities； with their various rituals and religious customs； had thus been broken up； or at least brought into contact with each other and partially modified and hellenized。 The orbit of a more general conception of life and religion was already being traced。 By the time of the founding of the first Christian Church the immense conquests of Rome had greatly extended and established the process。 The Mediterranean had become a great Roman lake。 Merchant ships and routes of traffic crossed it in all directions； tourists visited its shores。 The known world had become one。 The numberless peoples； tribes； nations； societies within the girdle of the Empire； with their various languages； creeds； customs； religions； philosophies； were profoundly influencing each other。＇1＇ A great fusion was taking place； and it was becoming inevitable that the next great religious movement would have a world…wide character。
＇1＇ For an enlargement on this theme see Glover's Conflict of Religions in the early Roman Empire； also S。 J。 Case； Evolution of Early Christianity（University of Chicago； 1914）。 The Adonis worship； for instance （a resurrection…cult）； 〃was still thriving in Syria and Cyprus when Paul preached there；〃 and the worship of Isis and Serapis had already reached then； Rome and Naples。
It was probable that this new religion would combine many elements from the preceding rituals in one cult。 In connection with the fine temples and elaborate services of Isis and Cybele and Mithra there was growing up a powerful priesthood； Franz Cumont＇1＇ speaks of 〃the learned priests of the Asiatic cults〃 as building up； on the foundations of old fetichism and superstition； a complete religious philosophyjust as the Brahmins had built the monism of the Vedanta on the 〃monstrous idolatries of Hinduism。〃 And it was likely that a similar process would evolve the new religion expected。 Toutain again calls attention to the patronage accorded to all these cults by the Roman Emperors； as favoring a new combination and synthesis： 〃Hadrien； Commode； Septime Severe； Julia Domna； Elagabal； Alexandre Severe； en particulier ont contribube personnellement a la popularite et au succes des cultes qui se celebraient en l'honneur de Serapis et d'Isis； des divinites syriennes et de Mithra。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ See Cumont； Religions Orientales dans le Paganisme Romain （Paris； 1906）； p。 253。
＇2＇ Cultes paiens dans l'Empire Romain （2 vols。； 1911）； vol。 ii； p。 263
