Shakers

P.J.Wells at open.ac.uk P.J.Wells at open.ac.uk
Wed Jan 23 06:34:34 PST 2002


I only remembered the "no-sex" rule after my original post.

But I think it's an aspect of my point; in conditions where you can rely on a steady stream of involuntary recruits in the form of foundlings, orphans, etc., avoiding this source of inter-personal tension probably helps make an island of collective organisation viable in a sea of individualism.

Of course, once the supply of orphans dries up, religious prejudices against sexual reproduction of the community become counter-productive. I believe the (very) few remaining Zoroastrians can tell a similar tale.

Julian



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