Zoar's and Celibacy

The Zoarites originally started off practicing celibacy and it worked for them for a while. They needed both the men and the women doing the work they are assigned to because every hand was needed. This helped them focus on their work and being a strong community. If a women was taking care of a child all day she would not be able to complete the chores they needed to around the house. Bimeler ended their practice of celibacy after he slept with a maiden and determined that sex was okay for procreation. Since the women still needed to do their jobs, the children were sent to dormitories at the age of three and stayed there until they were able to be on their own and work. This way they could have children without entirely affecting their work system.

Without abandoning celibacy in their community, the Zoarites would not have lasted as long as they did. If the children grow up learning that the Zoar society is the best way to live, they are more likely to stick with it. However, if they do not have people growing up in this society learning their ways, some may be more hesitant to join and they slowly die off. Celibacy would have brought an early end to this community, but once Bimeler said they did not have to practice it anymore they were off to more success.