Not Augustinian

No, I was not reading Augustine's City of God.
No, I do not believe in Augustinian Thought.

And ... the eMails I get ......

You have to understand that Augustine wrote his City of God at a time when Rome was being over-run.  The Visigoths had over-run the Alps, massacred the northern legions and were marching on Rome itself.  Inconceivable!

And Romans were fleeing Italy as fast they could afford!  The empire was shattered, where were they to flee?  Well, the closest point of Roman Culture was Carthage on the African north coast.  But Carthage was a long established city and although Roman, was less than interested n absorbing the flood of refugees coming to their city!  Augustine was a well off member of Carthage society, as well as, a Christian thinker - and his self interest was to argue to tell them all to go back home and fight for what was theirs!

So pervasive were his arguments - they are still used to this day by governments' to defend their warfares!  (Yeah, and try standing up in court to argue against Augustinian thought when you are 19 and facing veteran trial lawyers!)

So the point of Monday's post was not to argue for two kingdoms, nor even for the right of one to rule over the other, but to show that we wholly devote ourselves to the pursuit of Earthly desires - whereas what our attention is supposed to on is the pursuit of  God and His values.

Because we are eternal creations, given the requirement of eternal values, given a time to learn and prove ourselves - prior to being of use to God!

It seems an example is called for, and based on the eMails, we will go with the Bible and the Trump presidential election cycle.  But, first the eMails had a few issues.  I am ignorant of any evidence that Donald Trump is a Christian anything.  I see no virtue, no example of anything in his life pointing to God!  Quite the opposite, everything points to a self-absorbed man whom can not control himself.  Not the definition of a Christian man ... period.

The other problem is the liberal belief that Trump won the election because of this Christian support.  Sorry but America is NOT a Christian nation, it once had a Christian conscience long ago, but not any longer.  We do have an ingrained memory of what behaviors are correct - and to an extent that behavioral memory was not an asset to Clinton, nor calling Christians morons, etc.  All very negative and that is what derailed her.  If she had left her bigotries behind her and grown up - she probably could have won.  And it would have made no difference to me ...

So give that the entire basis of the "I hate your post" is invalid we can now proceed.

Now if Augustine was self-absorbed in getting vagrants out of his town and shaming them into returning to fight for what they claimed to want ... or ... what?  He diverted their attention to seeing that there is a Heavenly city that awaits them, no matter their exploits in this world.  Our eternal selves are independent from our physical selves.  Unfortunately, Jesus knew quite different, as did Paul and every writer of the New Testament.  It is why there are lots of commandments we are all still bound to but only two seem to have an eternal price attached to them - the taking of human life and fidelity.  Neither of which Augustine much of concern to Augustine - but remember, in his theology, God really does not care ... no matter the Bible's content.

So, I default to what the Bible says literally - and those that laugh and have a problem with that pretty much need to stop reading about the Bible and read the Bible - even if you have to go the first century Manuscripts!  And, yes, they exist - it is just no politically correct to know of their existence ....

So, were are we left?  The common reply to the above statement - "No one has that kind of time!"  But, this is said with the understanding that what is important is what you can amass in this life, rather than trying to show others a better way to live - with the goal of The real Kingdom in the end when Jesus returns.  Yes, I also believe in a physical return of Jesus - the one belief that separated me from my Hutterite Brethern - they not longer believe in Jesus' physical return ....