Somebody wrote:
> >>>>>> 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."
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Old St. Augustine was OK in my book!
He also said:
"Often a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the
heavens, and the other parts of the world, about the motions and
orbits of the stars and even their sizes and distances...and this
knowledge he holds with certainty from reason and experience. It is
thus offensive and disgraceful for an unbeliever to hear a Christian
talk nonsense about such things, claiming that what he is saying is
based in Scripture. We should do all that we can to avoid such an
embarrassing situation, lest the unbeliever see only ignorance in
the Christian and laugh to scorn."
--St. Augustine, "De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim"
(The Literal Meaning of Genesis)
Substantially, he is telling Christians, "Don't argue with people
who know more than you; it makes you look like a damn fool."
And a note to you mathematicians out there:
"The good Christian should beware of mathematicians and all those
who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the
mathematicians have made a covenant with the Devil to darken the
spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell ..."
--St. Augustine
earle
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