Saint Augustine’s View on Sexuality
The famous bishop of Hippo, St. Augustine, is claimed as a cornerstone of Christian theology by both Catholics and Protestants. Many of his views are regarded by Christians as authoritative interpretations of the Bible because they have withstood heated debate throughout the centuries. Christians ought to ask, however, whether such allegiance is justifiable in all cases. Augustine's idea of sex after matrimony, for example, is very narrow, restricting actions and emotions married Christians today consider part of the beauty of intercourse. A logical assertion then, is that Augustine's view of sexuality, as delineated in many writings, is a response to his life of sensuality prior to salvation; therefore, his idea about the intent for sex within marriage stems more from his former sin than from Biblical perspective.
St. Augustine's sordid lifestyle as a young man, revealed in Confessions, serves as a logical explanation for his limited view of the purpose of sexuality in marriage. His life from adolescence to age thirty-one was so united to passionate desire and sensual pleasure, that he later avoided approval of such emotions even within the sanctity of holy union. From the age of sixteen until he was freed of promiscuity fifteen years later, Augustine's life was woven with a growing desire for illicit acts, until that desire finally became necessity and controlled his will. His lust for sex began in the bath houses of Tagaste, where he was idle without schooling and "was tossed about…and boiling over in…fornications" (2.2). Also during that time, young Augustine displayed his preoccupation with sexual experience by fabricating vulgarities simply to impress his peers. In descript...
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”1 He was already a steady believer in God and was ready to be baptized however he was kept from it and was influenced by the other people as they said “Let him be, let him do as he likes, he is not baptized yet.” Without the proper reinforcement and teaching he progressively strayed away from his beliefs and eventually lost himself in sin. This led to one of the most important incidents in Augustine’s childhood. Augustine spends more time lamenting on the time he had stolen the pears than he does with many of the other sins.... ...
The United States of America is known as the land of opportunity and dreams. People dream of migrating to this nation for a chance of a better a life. This belief has been around for many years, ever since the birth of the United States; therefore it’s a factor in which motivate many people migrate to the United States. Upton Sinclair, author of the Jungle, narrates the life of a Lithuanian family and there struggles with work, crime, family loss, and survival in the city of Packingtown. Sinclair expresses her disgust as well as the unbelievable truth of life in the United States involving politics, corruption, and daily struggle that many suffered through in the 19th and 20th century.
St. Augustine’s Confessions is written through the Christian perspective of religion. Christianity is founded on the idea that there is one God who oversees all actions. Though all actions are observed by a higher power, God instills in us a free will. As Christians we are free to make our own decisions whether right or wrong. In his Biography St Augustine expresses that he feels like a sinner. He struggles with the fact that he is a thrill seeker. He loves to watch blood sports. He watches gladiators fight to the death and commit murder. Not only does he watch, but he enjoys observing these acts. He is also expressing his sins in his biography when he writes about stealing, which is another sin. He steals pears for fun. St Augustine doesn’t even eat the pears he steals, but throws them to the pigs to eat. Through the story St Augustine struggles interna...
Ernest headed south in hopes to start a new life, as many African Americans did. Story telling helped Ernest to overcome rough times and eventually led him to success. Ernest’s stones won him entrance to Stanford University. (“ Twentieth century American lite...
Saint Augustine’s On Faith and the Creed breaks down the Apostles Creed and expresses the essence of the Christian faith. The 11 chapters within On Faith and The Creed express many truths of the faith. Chapter one explains the origin of the creed and object of its composition. The Apostles Creed is a sufficient summary of the faith for beginners and those who who are more diligent in their faith. Many heretics have tried to corrupt the interpretation of the Apostles Creed. Yet, since it is written according to the scripture, the Apostles Creed is based on complete truth. Chapter two expresses the fact that eternity is exclusive. Saint Augustine talks about how the Apostles Creed will not truly be understood or impact a person if they are not
Abortion is the conclusion of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. It can also happen unconsciously, which is known as a “miscarriage.” For centuries the Church accepted abortion and the law did not punish it. Anti-abortion laws began in the United States in the 19th century and in the 20th century many states banished abortion. Abortion laws have been passed for many reasons such as the concern for women’s health, the need of medical profession, culture and religious fear etc. Laws and court decisions toward abortions have changed and strongly influenced American politics and public opinions over the last 50 years. Even though court decisions are placing severe restrictions on abortions. However, more abortions that America allows, the more it seems to be accepted in today’s society. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the history of abortion, the severe court decisions and the effect on public opinions.
Abortion’s legalization through Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade, has allowed for one in three pregnancies to end in abortion. This means that 1.5 million abortions are performed in the United States each year (Flanders 3). It ranks among the most complex and controversial issues, arousing heated legal, political, and ethical debates. The modern debate over abortion is a conflict of competing moral ideas and of fundamental human rights: to life, to privacy, to control over one's own body. Trying to come to a compromise has proven that it one cannot please all of the people on each side of the debate.
Why does St. Augustine seek God? Through his Confessions we come to understand that he struggled a great deal with confusion about his faith, before finally and wholeheartedly accepting God into his life. But we never get a complete or explicit sense of what led Augustine to search for God in the first place. Did he feel a void in his life? Was he experiencing particular problems in other relationships that he thought a relationship with God would solve for him? Or perhaps he sought a sense of security from religion? A closer analysis of the text of St. Augustine’s Confessions will provide some insight into these fundamental questions.
Cahill, Bernard R. Proceedings of the Conference on Strength Training and the Prepubescent. American Orthopeadic Society for Sports Medicine. 1-11. 1995.
As a final point given, this information should inform readers more about moral effects of abortions. Therefore, whomever may be concerned should read this paper. In fact, readers will learn more about what’s going on around their states. The legalization of abortion still continues to exist; however, the government may come to a conclusion soon.
Abortion sets a bad example the future of our nation. We know this through research. With a study towards attitudes about abortion in young adults ages eighteen to twenty one, from the years 1977 to 1993. This study attempted to determine if court rulings had an effect on the views of abortion. In response to this study eighteen year olds were mostly pro-choice and twenty one year olds were the least. Males are more pro-choice than females (Misra and Hohman. 85). Abortion is a very common thing, more common than we would like to believe. Approximately 1.5 million abortions take place every year in the united states, one in ever four abortions come from pregnancies and unintended pregnancies ( Misra and Hohman 85). Abortion causes much harm. Abortion can cause infection, perforation of the u...
W. Andrew Hoffecker. Building a Christian World View, vol. 1: God, man, and Knowledge. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Phillipsburg, New Jersey : 1986. William S. Babcock. The Ethics of St. Augustine: JRE Studies in Religion, no. 3.
Abortion has been a complex social issue in the United States ever since restrictive abortion laws began to appear in the 1820s. By 1965, abortions had been outlawed in the U.S., although they continued illegally; about one million abortions per year were estimated to have occurred in the 1960s. (Krannich 366) Ultimately, in the 1973 Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade, it was ruled that women had the right to privacy and could make an individual choice on whether or not to have an abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. (Yishai 213)
Brahmacharya or celibacy, according to Swami Sivananda Saraswati, is “self-restraint, particularly mastery of perfect control over the sexual organ or freedom from lust in thought, word and deed.” He calls for a conversion of sexual desire to spiritual energy, also known as ojas, through meditation, yoga and prayer. He also uses Freud’s term ‘sublimation’ and claims it “is not a matter of suppression or repression, but a positive, dynamic, conversion process. It is the process of controlling the sex energy, conserving it, then diverting it into higher channels, and finally, converting it into spiritual energy or ojas sakti.” Ojas, according to Swami Saraswati, is “spiritual energy that is stored up in the brain.” The ultimate spiritual ideal is to be free of sexual desire and Swami Saraswati claims that only total sublimation can make this happen. He argues that if an individual is able to attain perfect sublimation, “there will be purity in thought, word and deed. No sexual thought will enter the mind at any time.”
From observed and moral claims, a wide range of views supporting either more or less legal restriction on abortion has emerged in America. Politicians define the issue by party lines, while some support groups define the issue through its constitutionality and its moral views symbolized by their residents, largely are consider being pro-choice, or pro-life. The mass media describes the issue as morally, presenting to the nation the views of various pro-life and pro-choice organizations with little realistic evidence from both sides. The countless points that can be taken on this issue can be allocated by practical and moral expectations to a clearer analyze the details of this intense issue. The probability of the woman having a child in the near future would be slim to none. This is because your body cannot handle certain chemicals and mechanics, what does not kill you, will make you stronger; but will cause greater pain to your