The 4th century Christian bishop Epiphanius of Salamis wrote of a heretical sect called the Nicolaitans, that their supposed founder, the 1st century deacon Nicolas, had stated that "Unless one copulates every day, he cannot have eternal life." The Nicolaitans were held by the early Church to practice sexual indulgence and promiscuity.
We know little of what the Nicolaitans actually believed, since the only evidence we have is the writing of the orthodox church fathers who were engaged in suppressing them. And Epiphanius of Salamis is not generally held as the most reliable of sources.
But, for the sake of argument, lets assume that Epiphanius was correct, and the Nicolaitans did believe that one had to copulate every day in order to achieve eternal life. Descriptions of the activities of the Nicolaitans indicate that "copulation" did not necessarily mean sexual intercourse in the usual fashion...they were accused of engaging in "unnatural" activities, so we can assume that orgasms obtained through oral sex and masturbation count toward the total needed to obtain eternal life.
Let's also assume that they become a rival current within Christianity, at odds with the orthodox view of sex as a necessary evil, legitimate only in the cause of procreation.
Can such a sect survive? Might this be the form of Christianity which Rome later adopts as a State religion (after all, the Romans were pretty hedonistic people, by all accounts, and Nicolaitan philosophy might fit very well into their world view). Perhaps we see Roman Emperors feeding Orthodox Christians to the lions while partying with the Nicolaitans?
How would this affect the development of Christianity overall? Does clerical celibacy win in the end, as in OTL?
We know little of what the Nicolaitans actually believed, since the only evidence we have is the writing of the orthodox church fathers who were engaged in suppressing them. And Epiphanius of Salamis is not generally held as the most reliable of sources.
But, for the sake of argument, lets assume that Epiphanius was correct, and the Nicolaitans did believe that one had to copulate every day in order to achieve eternal life. Descriptions of the activities of the Nicolaitans indicate that "copulation" did not necessarily mean sexual intercourse in the usual fashion...they were accused of engaging in "unnatural" activities, so we can assume that orgasms obtained through oral sex and masturbation count toward the total needed to obtain eternal life.
Let's also assume that they become a rival current within Christianity, at odds with the orthodox view of sex as a necessary evil, legitimate only in the cause of procreation.
Can such a sect survive? Might this be the form of Christianity which Rome later adopts as a State religion (after all, the Romans were pretty hedonistic people, by all accounts, and Nicolaitan philosophy might fit very well into their world view). Perhaps we see Roman Emperors feeding Orthodox Christians to the lions while partying with the Nicolaitans?
How would this affect the development of Christianity overall? Does clerical celibacy win in the end, as in OTL?
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