[soc.religion.christian] libertine Christianity

mls@attunix.att.com (Mike Siemon) (10/19/89)

The question about polygamy/monogamy and the definition of "concubine"
seem to lead rather naturally into a note about "libertine" Christianity.

The moderator observes that those of us who reject bondage to the law are
probably better described as "semilibertine" -- in that we do in fact
act morally, that a good bit of our behavior will automatically mimic
a "semilegalist" who "obeys" the law.  That is nothing but the necessary
consequence of acting from the overriding law: love of God and neighbor.
The "law written in our hearts" is of course only metaphorically a law,
though it must surely "bind" us much more strongly than anything outside.

I find rules and definitions about "proper" or "improper" marriage, what
constitutes "fornication" and issues of polygamy to be mostly funny (save
for the agony that these things seem to put people through.)  Yet a life-
time commitment in love to someone seems to me to be very important to my
own life.  Insofar as I am following God's will, it is *irrelevant* what
the laws are.  I cannot stand on that as a defense, if I am charged with
a crime (or a sin) since my position is explictly NOT a legal position.
"Libertine" does not, or should not, mean "champing at the bit to do all
nasty things" -- it means I am free to choose what love demands.

Certain things I do or have done, being gay, are or have been illegal in
civil law or are "illegal" from the standpoint of some legalist Christians.
If I am hauled into a court, I am obviously constrained to operate by the
rules of that court, whether or not I accept its jurisdicition.  In NONE
of this does my libertinism make me any different from my legalist friends
(or opponents.)  They merely carry a yoke that seems to me senseless.

The "libertine" position is quite simply that I will not let ANY rule
stand in the way of doing what love of God and love for God's creation
demand of me.  No law, whether of enforced action or enforced inaction
can "justify" me if I fail in love.  And on the other hand, if I *do*
act in love and in response to God's will, no mere law can condemn me,
even if it leads to my execution.  The courts are still there, whether
I accept their jurisdiction or not; they are there as protection against
those who (like me) claim to be acting as God wills but who (unlike me,
I hope and pray) are merely suffering under self-delusion.  I do not
advocate the abolition of human courts of law -- I merely claim they
have no business in the Church, save only that here too human nature
penetrates and we must adjudicate among ourselves when disputes arise.
That has little to do with God's will, and a lot to do with original sin.

In the ancient strife of orthodoxy against heresy, many (especially the
gnostic) groups were charged with "libertinism" and accused of doing vile
things as a sort of nose-thumbing at the legalists.  These groups were
accused of holding orgies in their meetings and doing all sorts of terrible
things -- this was the practice ground for charges like those against Jews
in the middle ages (killing babies, etc.)  We have very little witness on
the side of the groups accused.  Some of them, indeed, may have operated
rather like Sri Whatsisiname Bagneesh.  But I am certain that most of the
accusations are trumped up and false, for the simple reason that a great
many (probably most) gnostic sects had nothing but contempt for the world
and the flesh -- they rejected it, sometimes with severe asceticism.

In common usage, "libertine" has a rather circumscried meaning of someone
sexually promiscuous.  I will neither condemn nor defend that usage, but
it suggests that that we should avoid its use in debates about the Law, as
a loaded term.  The root meaning of freedom is all I am trying to point
to here, and I will hereafter drop the term "libertine" -- but the root
meaning is important:

	"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
-- 
Michael L. Siemon		The Son of Man has come eating and drinking;
att!sfbat!mls			and you say "Behold, a glutton and a drunkard,
cucard!dasys1!mls		a friend of tax collectors and sinners."  And
standard disclaimer		yet, Wisdom is justified by all her children.