The radical idea that one can be perfect without sin did not originate with John Humphrey Noyes, the leader of the Oneida community and the perfectionist movement, however, his brand of perfectionism was really new. He stated that in 70 AD Christ had returned to earth, therefore liberation from sin was a fait accompli. He proclaimed that he was, in fact, without sin and that by following him others could lead a perfect and sinless life. This concept was the basis for the formation of the Oneida Community. Perfectionists felt they could learn altruism better in an environment where they shared everything. This environment was the biblical commune of the Oneida Community Mansion House. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay John Humphrey Noye's goal was not to change the world but to build a social and economic system that provided an alternative structure within which self-actualization of members, through perfectionism, could occur. When it came to making decisions for the group, Noyes gave the impression of acting through discussion and persuasion rather than proclamation, however, ultimately, Noyes made all final decisions. To act as a democratic society, a kind of hierarchy has been established regarding daily operational decisions, as well as economic policy and other more important matters. The committees discussed daily operational decisions. There were twenty-one standing committees with forty-eight different compartments. Committees were held on everything from heating and clothing to dentistry and incidentals. The committees discussed these things endlessly and always made changes. They thought the change was important to keep the devil from finding you. They were so worried about this that they changed rooms often. One of the prerequisites for joining the community was to believe that John Humphrey Noyes was God's representative on earth. God inspired him through a chain of command: the inspiration went from God to Jesus Christ to Paul who in turn revealed it to Noyes. Because of this belief, important decisions were made by Noyes who consulted with the core members. The core members consisted of a dozen men and women, all senior and trusted members. They dealt with issues such as economic policy, sexual issues, relations with the outside world, the admission of new members, pregnancy, the education of children and the perfectionist doctrine. As previously stated, all decisions were made or approved by Noyes. The role of women was somewhat complicated as perfectionists believed above all in equality. However, in the outside world women were considered inferior during the community period. So, although Noyes was not working for women's equality, he gave them the same opportunities as men. Women participated in all job roles and adult education programs. In this sense, as in others, the community was ahead of its time. Perfectionists participated in complex marriages. Noyes believed that it was natural for all women to love all men and vice versa. In fact, he felt that it was harmful to love a person because he is selfish and unnatural. He explained that the heart was created to love any number of times and any number of people. Thus, sexual intercourse was done with many partners and a variety of partners was encouraged. If a man wanted to have sex with a woman, he simply asked her. The women almost always accepted. In fact, there were special rooms set up for this activity if there was any,.