"Earle Jones" <earle.jones@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:earle.jones-233984.16425007122004@netnews.comcast.net...
> 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."
>
> *
> 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 ..."
I think St Aug was getting at the neo-Platonists, or astrologers, with that
one. Not what we mean by mathematicians - but somehow I suspect you knew
that. Just didn't want any *real* mathematicians to feel picked on.
Alan Jeffery
>
> --St. Augustine
>
> earle
> *
>
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