There has been a constant tension in post axial religions between the attainment of earthly and transcendental goods. Pre axial religions were much more straightforward in seeing the satisfaction of their desires for wealth, health, offspring, land and honour as the main purpose of worship (for example the Mosaic covenant). 

It is in that context that the post axial religions have held voluntary abstention from sensual satisfactions as spiritually valuable. Adherents have given up food, water, wine, warmth, riches, renown, family, sex sometimes for a lifetime, sometimes for a limited period (Lent, Ramadan). The reasons for such asceticism have been various. 

In early Christianity, a two speed understanding of discipleship developed: a few lived a life in which they responded totally to God’s call while the majority just muddled along in a religion that was often superstitious and retained many of the elements of the pre axial past. Celibacy quite soon became the ticket of admission to the spiritual elite. Under the influence of Greek views, especially those of Plato, human beings were seen as souls imprisoned in the carcase of the body. Fleshly satisfactions, especially those of sex, were seen as a hindrance to perfect devotion to God. 

The reform movement of the High Middle Ages attacked the idea of two speed Christianity: all were required to live the same standard. Of course, that could be done either by dragging people up to the higher standard of the monastic and clerical elites or reducing the standard to the level of the ordinary punters. And it was the latter course that was chosen by the 16th century reformers. Celibacy was seen by the reformers as part of the papal confidence trick, a denial of an ordinary human good that was neither necessary for Christian discipleship nor healthy for those who embraced it. 

There are understandings of asceticism other than that based on Platonic devaluation of the body. One is the idea that human beings need to discipline themselves as a reminder of the snares of the world: this understanding does not simply reject earthly satisfactions (as the Platonic inspired view tends to do) but sees them as all too readily elbowing out our aspirations to transcendental goods. Another understanding, found in Hinduism, is that the ascetic accumulates merit which will result in a higher subsequent incarnation. Buddhism’s attachment to asceticism reflects its view that what lies at the centre of the human malaise is attachment to our desires. 

Modern secular humanism does not have any time for discipline or abstinence in the pursuit of transcendental ends because it does not believe there are any such ends. On the other hand, it’s perfectly OK to punish yourself at the gym or to diet in the interest of beautiful body; or for a teenager to submit to a grinding daily regimen of pain and boredom in order to win an Olympic swimming gold. Among the religiously inclined in the West similar attitudes often prevail: traditional religion is seen as having alienated us from our bodies with asceticism one of the main ways in which this has been achieved. 

Personally, I think there is a good case for asceticism, including celibacy. Of course celibacy can be a blind for all sorts of other things and anybody who takes it on needs a very clear understanding of his or her own sexuality and how it fits into the culture of which he or she is a part. My guess is that there few people who have this kind of self-understanding. 

Paul Hartigan