How St. Augustine Invented Sex

[Saint Frankenstein]

There is all the theology we need right there in the word of God. You just proved it.

St. Augustine's treatise is valuable because people can study what he wrote, compare it to God's word and possibly find that their faith has grown stronger as a result - whether they find what he wrote was correct or not.

Because Christians obviously don't read the same book and come away with wildly differing interpretations of it.

You still didn't answer my question.

 

[DavidFirth]

Because Christians obviously don't read the same book and come away with wildly differing interpretations of it.

You still didn't answer my question.

That's because too many people want the scriptures to say other than what they say. And we don't have to agree about everything.

You should know by now that I'm not going to answer your question.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

That's because too many people want the scriptures to say other than what they say. And we don't have to agree about everything.

You should know by now that I'm not going to answer your question.

It's more because the Bible isn't clear enough in the first place and easily allows multiple interpretations.

Then I'm done with wasting my time with you.

 

[Shiranui117]

It was an interesting enough read. It strikes me that the interpretation of several key figures throughout Christian history has had an immense impact on the direction of Christianity. This is particularly true of it's formative years.

Paul, Constantine and Augustine stand out in particular. Their impact on Christianity seems more tangible than that of Jesus.

Augustine was only a big deal in the West. He was largely ignored in the East. In any church that isn't Rome, the Cappadocian Fathers and St. John Chrysostom were of far greater importance.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Augustine was only a big deal in the West. He was largely ignored in the East. In any church that isn't Rome, the Cappadocian Fathers and St. John Chrysostom were of far greater importance.

It's a good point, and I was showing my Western bias. I actually read a lot of Byzantine history (someone has to) though. I'll still raise you a Constantine, and throw in his mother for good measure.

Mind you, the point was more around the influence of mere mortals on the direction of the Church...or Churches, ultimately. Which I guess you're okay with?

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Augustine was a neurotic and a sex addict who hated women and blamed them for his lack of self-control. His relationship with his mother appears borderline incestuous, at least in this article. It sounds like they had an orgasm together!

Such sexually screwed up people are a dime a dozen among fervent religious renunciates. Sadly, they have far more influence than they deserve and millions of people down through the generations have had to suffer for it. They needed serious therapy, instead they projected their own mental diseases and bigotries onto their theology and we we're supposed to view them as "holy"! The whole thing is sick.

I knew next to nothing about Augustine, but after reading the article, and seeing some of the personal quotes attributed to him, this assessment sounds pretty spot on. He did a world of hurt to human sexuality in some spheres where Christianity is the prominent religion. It's downright scary what the opinions of one person like this can do.

And it is so easy to see the falsity if one cares to look. These opinions and interpretations didn't exist until Augustine invented them and pushed them in front of people. Just another case where, if you believe in "original sin", you would also have to believe that God let people live in complete ignorance of the true meaning of the Adam and Eve story for hundreds of years (this, considering how old the oldest writings of The Bible are said to be) before sending Augustine to clear up the "discrepancy". It's idiotic.