Interestingly, I have recently been rereading a classical work on this subject: [i]De Rerum Natura[i] by Lucretius. It is a poetic exposition of the philosophical school of Epicureanism. I realize that Masons have often been accused of being Epicureans, but this, like so many other claims just ain't true. Or, perhaps more true than most believe.
Epicureans are the folks that made the orgy popular in
ancient Rome. This too was a misreading of the material. Epicureans were encouraged to maximize pleasure in life. The reason for this is that there was thought to be no after life. No punishment, and no reward. This physical existance was thought to be all there is. The book explains why this is, and I'm not going to go into the details here. If anyone is interested, I'll talk about it, but it ain't the point just now.
The point is that being irreligious doesn't necessarilly lead to libertinism. The true believers in Epicureanism realized that there is a price to pay in this world for our actions. If you drink too much, you get a hangover, and the hangover negates the pleasure of the drinking. If you over indulge in sexual adventures, you catch diseases and there's always the shotgun (or point of the spear) wedding as a possibility.
So, a true Epicurean believed in moderation in all things. Not because of pie in the sky or a pitchforkin' to come in the afterlife, but because it maximized the pleasure available in this life. A practical philosophy, grounded in science, that, without the trappings of religion, lead not to libertinism, but to moderation.
Steve, M.M.
in Maryland