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From: Heinz Kiosk <nospamplease.tom.mcclelland@ntlworld.com>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.uncle-davey
Subject: Re: Another Augustine quotation
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2004 14:21:12 +0000 (UTC)
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Uncle Davey wrote:
> news:cov1r0024b8@drn.newsguy.com...
>
>> In Augustine's book "De Libero Arbitrario" (which is mostly about
>>the problem of evil and free will) he spends chapter 21 of book 3
>>talking about the origin of a human's soul. He mentions four
>>different theories, and says that he has no strong evidence for
>>any of them. He then goes on to say that it is not a matter of
>>importance for the Christian:
>>
>>"So what does it matter to me if I do not know when I began to exist,
>>since I know that I exist now, and I do not despair of existing in the
>>future? There is no great harm done if I have false beliefs about the
>
> past,
>
>>since the past is of no concern to me; I direct my course toward what I am
>>going to be, guided by the mercy of my Creator."
>>
>>from page 113 of
>>
>>Augustine: On Free Choice of the Will
>>translated by Thomas Williams
>>Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1993
>>
>
>
> I am sure there is a certain wisdom in these words and that's why I have
> never said here that you have to believe in a literal six days to be saved.
>
> I happen to believe them, and in the Flood and Babel and a lot of other
> stuff but I am not dogmatic about them.
>
Only dogma can make you believe in those things, against the background
of the overwhelming evidence that they did not happen.
Tom
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